Pepperminttwistkisses Recipes

Steps:

• Shape cookie mix into 3/4-in. balls. Roll each ball into a 6-in. rope. Bend the rope in half and twist twice. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets., Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool completely. Combine the confectioners' sugar, milk and extract; drizzle over cookies. Sprinkle with colored sugar.

Steps:

• Freeze kisses in a covered container for at least 1 hour. In a large bowl, cream butter, sugar and salt until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolk and extracts. Gradually beat flour into creamed mixture., Divide dough in half; tint one portion red. Divide each half into four portions and shape into 9-in. long rolls. Place one red log next to one white log; twist gently to create one swirled roll. Roll gently until it becomes one log. Repeat with remaining dough. Wrap logs in plastic wrap; refrigerate 1 hour or until firm., Preheat oven to 350°. Unwrap dough. Cut each log crosswise into nine slices; shape each slice into a ball. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Flatten slightly with a glass., Bake 10-12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Immediately press a kiss into center of each cookie. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool. Freeze option: Freeze cookies, layered between waxed paper, in freezer containers. To use, thaw before serving.

Steps:

• Position oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.
• Beat the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the almond and vanilla extracts and egg and mix until combined. Reduce the mixer speed to low, add the flour and salt and mix until just combined.
• Remove a third of the dough to a flour-dusted surface and reserve. Add the candy canes to the dough left in the bowl and mix on low until just combined. Remove to a flour-dusted surface and fold with your hands until it comes together.
• Add the reserved dough back to the mixer bowl and add enough red gel food coloring until it is a vibrant red like a fire truck, about 10 drops. Mix on low until the dough is completely red. Remove to a flour-dusted surface and fold with your hands until it comes together.
• Tear off 2 Ping-Pong ball-size pieces of the white dough and add to the barrel of a cookie press; add 1 marble-size piece of the red dough. Repeat this pattern until the barrel is filled (you will not use all of the dough). Place a wreath disc onto the cookie press barrel according to the manufacturer's instructions. Press the cookies onto an ungreased baking sheet and set aside. Repeat 2 more times in the same pattern with the remaining dough.
• Bake 2 of the batches until the cookies are firm but not yet browning on the bottom, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool the cookies for 1 minute on the baking sheets, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely, about 30 minutes. Bake the third batch and let cool. Store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Steps:

• LINE baking sheets with wax paper.
• COMBINE sweetened condensed milk, peppermint extract and food coloring, if desired, in large bowl. Add 6 cups powdered sugar; beat on low speed until smooth and well blended. Turn mixture onto surface sprinkled with powdered sugar.
• KNEAD lightly to form smooth ball. Shape into 1-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Flatten each ball into a 1 1/2-inch patty.
• LET dry 1 hour or longer; turn over and let dry at least 1 hour. With fork, dip each patty into warm candy coating (draw fork lightly across rim of pan to remove excess coating). Invert onto wax-paper-lined baking sheets; let stand until firm. Store covered at room temperature or in refrigerator.
• *Also called confectioners' or summer coating.

Steps:

• In a mixing bowl, beat egg whites until foamy. Add salt and cream of tartar; beat until soft peaks form.
• Beat in sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until stiff and glossy.
• Spoon meringue into a pastry bag or a resealable plastic bag. If using a plastic bag, cut a 1 inch hole in the corner.
• Squeeze 1-1/2 inch kisses of meringue onto ungreased foil-lined baking sheets. Sprinkle with crushed candy canes.
• Bake at 225F for 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until dry but not brown. Cool; remove from foil. Store in an airtight container.

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine first four ingredients.
• Add milk and mix well.
• Roll into 1-inch balls and place on a waxed paper-lined cookie sheet.
• Chill for 20 minutes.
• Flatten with a glass to 1/4".
• Chill for 30 minutes.
• In a double boiler or microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate chips and shortening.
• Dip patties and place on waxed paper to harden.

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, combine condensed milk and peppermint extract. Beat in enough confectioners' sugar, a little at a time, to form a stiff dough that is no longer sticky. Form into 1 inch balls, then place on waxed paper and flatten with fingers to form patties. Let patties dry at room temperature two hours, turning once.
• In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt chocolate with shortening, stirring often. Remove from heat. Dip patties, one at a time, into chocolate by laying them on the tines of a fork and lowering the fork into the liquid. Let cool on waxed paper until set.

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine coconut oil, agave and peppermint oil, mixing with a spoon.
• Smash clumps of coconut oil against side of bowl until mixture is smooth.
• Freeze mixture for a few minutes until it starts to harden, then remove from freezer.
• Use a 1.5 teaspoon ice cream scoop to measure out little balls onto a parchment lined plate.
• Place plate in freezer to firm up mint balls; when firm, remove from freezer.
• Squish balls down into flat little patties on parchment paper.
• Dip patties into melted chocolate (use spoon to drop patty into melted chocolate, dip and remove).
• Place patties on parchment paper to harden (takes 10 minutes though on a summer day you may need to refreeze).

Steps:

• Let egg whites stand at room temperature 30 minutes. , Preheat oven to 225;. Add cream of tartar and salt to egg whites; beat on medium speed until foamy. Gradually add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating on high after each addition. Continue beating until stiff, glossy peaks form., Transfer egg whites to piping bag. Pipe 1-1/2-in. cookies 2 in. apart onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Sprinkle half with crushed red candy canes, half with green, or with both. , Bake until firm but not brown, 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Remove to wire racks to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 175.
• Place a small pan of water on the stove and heat till simmering. Place egg whites in a mixing bowl and pour in the sugar. Move the mixing bowl over to the simmering water, but make sure the bottom does not touch the water. Gently stir the sugar and egg whites together for 2 minutes until the eggs warm up.
• Using the whisk attachment, mix on high speed until you have firm peaks. Gently mix in peppermint extract until combined. Place a pastry bag fitted with a star tip into a large drinking glass and fold back the sides. Spoon the meringue into the bag and pull up the sides. Pipe onto 2 parchment lined baking sheets and place in the oven. Bake until the meringues are crisp, but have no color on them. This takes about 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours depending on the size. Turn the oven off and leave the door ajar to let them cool completely.