Shamrock Butter-Mints

In honor of St. Patrick's Day, I'm carrying on the 'green' theme from last week...

St Patrick's Day is a great holiday for celebrating with kids. There are so many fun crafts (I mean, you've got shamrocks, leprechauns and rainbows to work with!) and lots of fun treats to make. Sadly, I didn't really 'discover' this holiday until I was older. It wasn't widely celebrated when I was a child in England, so my fondest St. Patrick's Day memories come from my college years.

Since my family lived in England and I was at school in the States, I spent my holiday weekends with friends. St. Patrick's Day, in particular, was spent with the family of a friend who just happened to have Irish heritage. Every year, they made a lavish celebratory feast with all the trimmings like corned beef and cabbage, soda bread, and Irish coffees. We dressed in green, listened to Irish music, and watched 'Darby O'Gill and The Little People'. I was always grateful to be included in their family celebrations, and this evening of festivity and laughter made up for all the St. Patrick's Days I'd missed in the years before.

Of course, St. Patrick's Day is fun for adults, too. It's a great excuse to sip Bailey's and indulge in green-tinted treats like these festive mints. Their buttery, minty flavor will please any adult palate, but they're easy enough to whip up with your kids.

Peppermint Patties

3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 teaspoons peppermint extract
3 - 4 cups confectioners' sugar, as needed
Up to 1 scant Tablespoon butter, melted (optional)
Green food coloring (optional)

Combine condensed milk, peppermint extract, and food coloring in a large mixing bowl. Stir until well blended. Gradually add the confectioners sugar to form a stiff dough. For a richer taste, and to make the dough more malleable, stir in melted butter (this step is optional, but the added flavor is worthwhile). This will make the mixture slightly more fluid when handled, but it should firm up when allowed to stand at room temperature.

Working the dough as little as possible, shape into 1/2-inch balls. Place on waxed paper and flatten into discs with fingers. Shamrock shapes can be formed by shaping three small balls for leaves and a thin, short rope for a stem. Allow the candies to set at room temperature for a couple of hours. If desired, dip cooled, set patties in melted chocolate to coat (also recommended!). Store patties in the refrigerator.

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