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Home > Taste of Home Community > Community Forums > Cooking Techniques > Butter mints

Butter mints

Last post Nov 21, 2005 11:35 AM by _FOOTSIE . 26 replies.


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    • Not Ranked
    Joined: Dec 2004
    Posts: 3
    Posted: Dec 16, 2004 4:02 PM in Cooking Techniques
    Post # 1
    RE: Butter mints
    Thanks so much for the help. I did look @ Walmart but not grocery store. I figured Walmart would have a better selection but I guess not. I'm holding off on this recipe though until I hear more from others on how to get it to work. It looks so good, though.
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    Posts: 18
    Reply Posted: Dec 16, 2004 4:42 PM in Cooking Techniques
    Post # 2
    RE: Butter mints
    I am Mindee Williams Mom, the one who submitted the recipe for Buttermints. I am going to try to help you. This recipe is a little tricky but worth it. First make sure use do the altitude adjustment by boiling your thermometer in water first. If you need help with that, please email me and I will teach you how. After you put the butter and sugar and water in the pan and stir it, put a lid on it so it can steam and DON'T STIR IT AGAIN. After you have steamed it for about 3 minutes take the lid off and put in the candy thermometer. It is very important that you adjust it for your area. I like the Taylor Candy Thermometer. You can get it on the internet or at any candy making store for about $15.00. This candy has to be cooked to the exact temperature. My thermometer is 11 degrees off so I cook my candy to 251 degrees but your's will totally depend on your area.
    I don't add the flavoring or coloring until after I pour the candy out. I pour it onto my buttered granite countertop but a real cold baking pan is fine and so is a marble slab. After you pour it out DO NOT SCRAP THE PAN OUT AND DO NOT DISTURB IT. Let it stand until it is easy to handle. It does not take very long, maybe 5 minutes. Butter your hands, pour in the coloring and PEPPERMINT OIL FLAVORING. Begin to stretch. This takes about five or ten minutes and will be silky and satiny. Put some waxed paper down on your counter or a large baking sheet and then pull the taffy like candy into a rope about 1/2" in diameter. Snip into pieces about 3/4 inches long. This has to be stored in an AIRTIGHT
    CONTAINER. When you first make it, it tastes more like taffy. After it stands for two days in a COOL place, It turns into yummy butter mints. I don't know if you ever tasted Kraft butter Mints but they taste just like them and I don't think you can buy the Kraft ones any more. I promise that once you make them right, you will be able to keep making them. Good luck. If you want to call me, I have a toll free numer 1-800-290-8409.
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    Posts: 18
    Reply Posted: Dec 16, 2004 4:53 PM in Cooking Techniques
    Post # 3
    RE: Butter mints
    You can buy peppermint oil in the baking section at Wal-Mart. It is called LorAnn Gourmet. There are a lot of flavors. I see these all of the time especially at Christmas time in just about any grocery store.
    Also, when you are making the butter mints, you start the heat out on high until everything it dissolved and then TURN IT DOWN TO MEDIUM.
    Good luck!!!
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    Joined: Dec 2004
    Posts: 4
    Reply Posted: Dec 18, 2004 10:33 PM in Cooking Techniques
    Post # 4
    RE: Butter mints
    Thank you for finding this post and replying! I would like to try this recipie and now with your originall instructions I will try it.

    Elise
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    Joined: Dec 2004
    Posts: 5
    Reply Posted: Dec 22, 2004 11:32 AM in Cooking Techniques
    Post # 5
    RE: Butter mints
    SUCCESS! I followed the original recipe directions given by Linda12, and it worked! I think it also makes a difference in what butter you use also. I used Land o' Lakes and it was too greasy or watery and I had a hard time getting it to hold together to pull. I then used Tillamook and it was great. When I used the Land o' Lakes, I may have pulled it more than 5-10 minutes and it turned hard an sugary. I only pulled it 5 minutes with the Tillamook and it worked great.
    Make sure to use butter that has salt. Be sure to used the directions of Linda12. The mints are wonderful!
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    Joined: Dec 2004
    Posts: 2
    Reply Posted: Dec 29, 2004 4:48 PM in Cooking Techniques
    Post # 6
    RE: Butter mints
    After two dismal failures of it crystalizing during the cooling down process, I thought I would give it one more try. I found the revised directions from Linda12 and tried once more. Everything looked and felt good up through 8 minutes of stretching when I added 2 drops of green coloring. It crystallized almost immediately. I am taking the advice from another and will be throwing this recipe out. I'm surprised that TOH did not encounter any problems when testing this recipe to determine winners. To TOH, I'm not quite sure I'll trust your judgement on "winning recipes" in the future.
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    Posts: 18
    Reply Posted: Dec 29, 2004 5:52 PM in Cooking Techniques
    Post # 7
    RE: Butter mints
    Dear White Cat in the Hat:

    You're supposed to add the coloring and flavoring just before you pick it up to stretch it not while you are stretching it.
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    Posts: 18
    Reply Posted: Dec 29, 2004 5:55 PM in Cooking Techniques
    Post # 8
    RE: Butter mints
    I made these butter mints for a wedding. I made 9 batches and did not have one failure. Sorry about yours.
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    Joined: Dec 2004
    Posts: 3
    Reply Posted: Dec 29, 2004 6:45 PM in Cooking Techniques
    Post # 9
    RE: Butter mints
    I decided to make the buttermint recipe which is in the Dec/Jan taste of home magazine. I followed Linda's directions and they turned out the very first time. I would also like to add that I am not an experienced candy maker. I know the only reason they turned out is because I followed Linda's directions exactly to the T! (you can find these directions under "buttermints help" on the second page.) I really think that adding your peppermint oil and coloring after the mints have cooled is key (and not stirring it in before they are poured out). My candy thermometer is about 4 degrees off, so I cooked the mints to 256 degrees. I used Great Value butter and it worked just fine. These mints are absolutely wonderful. This is one of my new favorites. Thanks again Linda for your help.
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    • Top 500 Contributor
    Joined: May 2002
    Posts: 7,668
    Reply Posted: Jan 23, 2005 5:41 AM in Cooking Techniques
    Post # 10
    RE: Butter mints
    bump
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    • Top 500 Contributor
    Joined: Feb 2002
    Posts: 6,682
    Reply Posted: Jul 02, 2005 5:56 PM in Cooking Techniques
    Post # 11
    RE: Butter mints
    Interesting. In going thru the Farm Journal candy book, I found a recipe very similar. However, it also adds a pinch of cream of tartar-and has far less butter and sugar. Cream of tartar would help with the crystallizing problem.

    * Exported from MasterCook *

    Pulled Mints

    Recipe By :Food Editors of Farm Journal
    Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:00
    Categories : Try a Taffy Pull

    Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
    -------- ------------ --------------------------------
    2 cups sugar
    1 cup water
    1/4 cup butter or margarine
    pinch cream of tartar
    few drops food color (your choice)
    4 to 5 drops oil of peppermint or wintergreen, lemon or cinnamon

    Combine sugar, water, butter and cream of tartar in 2-qt. heavy saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar is completely dissolved. Cook, without stirring, over high heat until mixture reaches the hard ball stage (260'). If sugar crystals form on sides of pan, wipe them off. Pour onto buttered marble slab or buttered large shallow pan or platter. With buttered hands, turn edges into center so they won't get hard. Let cool. When cool enough to handle, sprinkle over drops of food color and your choice of flavor. Pick up into a ball. Hold in one hand, pull out with other hand; fold back and pull again, working in color and flavoring (see directions for How to Pull Taffy). Turn, to pull all parts evenly. Continue pulling until almost cold. Stretch out in a "ribbon" of even thickness (about 1/2- to 3/4-in. wide). Cut off with kitchen shears in short lengths. Store in airtight container with waxed paper between layers.

    Description: "You pull this like taffy, getting mints that melt in your mouth."
    Source: "Homemade Candy"
    S(Formatted by): "Moonchild2488"
    Copyright: "1970 Farm Journal, Inc."
    Yield: "1 pound"
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    • Top 50 Contributor
    Joined: Sep 2004
    Posts: 27,777
    Reply Posted: Nov 21, 2005 11:35 AM in Cooking Techniques
    Post # 12
    RE: Butter mints
    now all i have to do is find the recipe again lol!
    False