This homemade peppermint patties recipe makes delicious homemade party mints that taste just like York peppermint Patties! These are a favorite at our home!
This is the most asked for candy at Christmas in the Cooper and Kellam households. We always have to make at least 3 batches!!
Homemade Peppermint Patties – Party Mints
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 egg white (meringue powder may be substituted)
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
4 small lids peppermint flavoring (try 1/2-1 tsp. then add more to taste if you need to)
1 pkg. (12 oz.) almond bark OR chocolate melting wafers
Mix powdered sugar, egg white or meringue, butter and peppermint flavoring. Make into small balls about the size of a quarter and then flatten on a cookie sheet. Put in the freezer. Melt chocolate over a double boiler. When melted take mints out of freezer. Put a toothpick though the center of the mint and dip into chocolate. If mints on the cookie sheet begin to soften and thaw, refreeze because they are easier to dip. Put back on cookie sheet and let chocolate harden in the freezer. Wrap each mint in a piece of 5×5 inch foil. Makes twenty 2-inch mints.
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The homemade party mints sound great and I’m sure my daughters will like them, but where do I buy the parafin?
You can find it at most grocery stores and Wal Mart in with the canning supplies. Sometimes it is in the baking section too. The first time you might just have to ask someone at the store.
If you can’t find it like I said you can use the chocolate wafers which you see every where this time of year which people usually use to melt and dip things like pretzels etc. in.
A friend gave me a recipe a long time ago for mints.
1 cup butter
1 – 1 kg pkg icing sugar (I think this is 4 cups)
1 teaspoon mint extract
food colouring as desired, green OR yellow
Mix together, make into patties, let dry 1 day(if you can), turn over and dry another day.
This year I tried 1 cup of cream cheese instead of butter. It tastes great too. I also melted chocolate chips and dropped the patties in. Not knowing how well they would stick to the surface it took a couple of try’s and now I put them on a plastic plate that I can bend and they pop right off, though I guess parchment paper would work too.
I make bon bons every year which are peanut butter balls (secret recipe ;) dipped in chocolate, but what exactly does the paraffin do? I use the same process when I do our bonbons but have never used it before. Could you leave out the paraffin?
Paraffin simply makes the chocolate set a bit harder so you don’t have chocolate melting on your hands while attempting to eat one.
Candy makers swear by it. I would not leave it out.
Angela like grandma said it helps the chocolate become a little firmer and not melt or be as soft. I usually don’t like leaving it out. In case you have a hard time finding paraffin it is in with the canning jars and canning items. I just saw a bunch at Wal Mart so it really isn’t hard to find. Plus it isn’t expensive and I use only a little bit. It keeps for years too.
forgot this about the paraffin and what it does.
It makes the chocolates shiny. The Candy maker in my home town said that was the secret to his shiny chocolates.
things you learn when you are a kid and people talk like you aren’t there.
I think that is when I started not liking chocolate as much as other people. The thought of eating wax just didn’t compute.
Jill,
I can’t find the recipe in the cookbook what page is it on? I have the 2009 cookbook, Love it!
Debbie S
Debbie, page 265
Found it. I was looking in the wrong index.
Thanks for the help!
Debbie S
I make parafin coated candies for my nieces and nephews. I used to motivate them to do lots of things until my sister published it in the church cookbook. She defeated my purpose.
Wasn’t there any other recipe she could have shared ???. I think taking away a recipe from someone ..even if it’s not one you made up can be hurtful.Too bad she didn’t ask you first,…. lots of women and men to, like to have a secret or even not so secret, recipe they can be proud of to make and present to family and friends, that they can call their own. Hopefully she at least put your name on it.
remember those cigars made with paraffin and filled with kool-aide of different colours.
if you could find a mold for them they would be a nice change of surprise candies. Or a mold for those wax lips we used to wear all the time as if we were film models with lip stick.
If you bought fake lips for halloween you could do them in wax. Just not sure about a cigar though.
Any thoughts.
everytime i read this about the york peppermint patties .. i think of the brownies i make (esp at this time of year) ..
i take my fav brownie mix, mix according to directions but after i put in the baking pan (b4 putting it in the oven to cook) .. i take the little york peppermint patties and lay them on top .. when baking they sink to the middle of the brownies .. and when .. they are yummy .. and make a nice variation for a xmas plate to give along with ur fav cookies/etc ..
rose I like that idea.
wonder if it would work with those cherry blossoms.
thanks for the tip.
One of our managers at work shows her love for us by making the brownies in cupcake papers and drops a bite size candy bar like Snickers, Milky Way or a Carmel in. They are way yummy! She uses different colored papers to designate which candy bar she dropped inside. I don’t really care. They are all good!
yw grandma .. but what are cherry blossoms? .. my fav chocolate covered cherries (you can only get them this time of year too) .. is the queen anne brand .. walamrt here sells them for like $1/box .. milk or dark chocolate .. but they are sooo good too .. thats an idea .. make the brownies (or chocolate cake) .. and when ur done putting the mix in the pan b4 u put the pan in the oven .. line up those choc covered cherries .. oh my! .. grandma! .. we made up a new version of yumminess .. ehehehheeee :D ..
There’s nothing like a queen anne cordial cherry. Imagine my surprise when the local 99 Cents Only Store started selling the really big box (with 4 containers of cherries) in the middle of the year!
I am trying to make the party mints/peppermint patties, but the powdered sugar mixture seems really dry. The only thing I’ve done different is use shortening instead of butter because my grandson is allergic to milk and milk products. Do I need to add something more or is it supposed to be very dry? Thanks in advance for any help.
The texture of the shortening may make a difference but try just adding a few drops of water and see if that helps. If you didn’t use an egg white but an egg substitute that will affect it too. The recipe is pretty forgiving so just add a little water or some more peppermint and see if that helps. It pretty much is just flavored powdered sugar so you can’t do too much wrong to it.
I finished the peppermint patties today. Mmmmm, so good.
It was the water, and after looking at the meringue powder again, it’s no wonder. I thought it had equal amounts of powder and water, but it was 2 teaspoons powder and 2 tablespoons of water. Big difference! I think your website is the best one around with so many tips, etc. Thank you.
Hello, these look wonderful! Just wanted to know if you whip the egg white or just add it as is?
Just add it Sheila.It is very very simple.
I do not see paraffin as an ingredient in this recipe! Is this a misprint? How much paraffin is required and when to add? Thank you. Love your show.
Carol in this recipe you can just use the chocolate melting wafers
I’m an Australian and have no idea what almond bark or chocolate melting wafers are is there something else I could substitute?
Yes Bev you can use chocolate chips and coconut oil. Melt 1-1 1/2 Tablespoons of coconut oil to 1 cup of chocolate chips and dip in that. It is best to measure the coconut oil while it is solid if you can.