Cream Peppermint Drops Recipes

Steps:

• Put the confectioners' sugar, condensed milk and peppermint extract in a medium bowl and stir together with a fork. Once combined, form a smooth, soft dough with your hands.
• Roll out the dough on a surface dusted with confectioners' sugar until it is about 1/8 inch thick. Cut out different shapes with 1 1/2-inch cookie cutters, rerolling the mixture until it is used up. Keep any mixture you are not working with covered with plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out.
• Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water or put the chocolate in a bowl and microwave at 30-second intervals, stirring between each one. Dip the peppermint creams into the melted chocolate until they are half covered, then let them cool and set on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
• If you are storing the creams, pop them in an airtight container spaced apart, dusted with confectioners' sugar and separated between layers of parchment to keep them from sticking together. They can be stored for 2 to 3 days at room temperature.

Steps:

• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Place one-third of the white chocolate in a small microwave-safe bowl; microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring, until melted. Set aside to cool slightly. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the melted white chocolate until smooth, then beat in the egg and vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low; add the flour mixture in 2 batches and beat until combined. Beat in half of the remaining chopped white chocolate. Roll heaping tablespoonfuls of dough into balls and arrange about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake the cookies, switching the position of the pans halfway through, until the edges are slightly golden, about 15 minutes. Let cool 3 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Make the glaze: Microwave the remaining chopped white chocolate (you can use the same bowl as before) in 30-second intervals, stirring, until melted; stir in the heavy cream, and peppermint extract to taste. Dip the tops of the cookies in the glaze and return to the rack. Sprinkle with the crushed candy cane and let set, about 1 hour.
• Photograph by Johnny Miller

Steps:

• Put water and sugar into clean saucepan and boil slowly, without stirring, until it spins thread from the tip of a spoon dipped into it. Take from the stove, leave it untouched until it is about "blood-warm", then stir steadily, always in one direction until the mixture begins to become creamy. Flavor to taste with peppermint, adding cautiously so as not to get the flavor too strong.
• Drop by teaspoonful upon waxed paper, being careful not to put the drops too close together. A candy dipper works better to do this, if you have one.

Steps:

• In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar.
• Beat in remaining ingredients except food coloring. if your food coloring comes in a dropper - do 4 drops. Mix just until the dough has red swirls - then STOP.
• Drop by teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheets. Flatten slightly.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 12-14 minutes or until bottoms start to turn light brown.
• Cool for 2 minutes before removing to wire racks.
• If desired, dip half of each cookie in melted chocolate and place on waxed paper to dry.