PILLOW MINTS RECIPES

Steps:

• In large bowl, beat butter until creamy. With mixer on low, beat in sugar, cream and extract until creamy and smooth. Turn sugar mixture out onto a work surface lightly dusted with confectioners' sugar; knead until smooth and satiny. Divide mixture into thirds: Tint one pastel pink (2 drops red color), one pastel green (2 drops green color) and leave remaining portion white. Cover each portion with plastic wrap to keep it from drying out. Line 2 baking sheets with nonstick foil. Lightly dust work surface with confectioners' sugar. Working with one color at a time, roll out 1⁄4 cupfuls of the mint mixture, using your fingers, into a 1/2-in.-thick rope. Cut rope into 1/2- to 3/4-in. pillows. Transfer mints to prepared baking sheet with a spatula (be careful--mints are soft and will squish easily). Repeat with remaining mint mixture. Let air-dry at room temperature for 1 to 2 days until firm enough to handle. Transfer mints to covered containers.

Steps:

• Place sugar and 3 tablespoons butter into a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Pour the boiling water over, and stir to dissolve. Allow the mixture to come to a rolling boil. It will boil up in the pot as if it is going to boil over, but it will settle down. Use some of the remaining butter to butter a marble slab.
• When the sugar mixture reaches the soft crack stage of 270 to 280 degrees F (132 to 140 degrees C), remove from the heat immediately. Pour onto the buttered marble slab. Add peppermint oil and food coloring if desired. Butter your hands, and start pulling up pieces of the sugar blob. Keep stretching so that it will not set up. Continue to stretch until it has lost it's shine and is stringier.
• Pull the candy out into one long string, and cut into 1 inch segments using scissors. Store candies in an airtight tin.