{"id":445,"date":"2021-06-10T10:30:00","date_gmt":"2021-06-10T14:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/johnkaufeld.com\/vintagelivingmodernlife.com\/?p=445"},"modified":"2021-04-27T21:04:34","modified_gmt":"2021-04-28T01:04:34","slug":"easy-fondant-cream-mints","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vintagelivingmodernlife.com\/index.php\/2021\/06\/10\/easy-fondant-cream-mints\/","title":{"rendered":"Easy Fondant Cream Mints"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Leaf-shaped
Easy Fondant Cream Mints can brighten your next get-together.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Looking for something to add sparkle to your next small get-together? These easy fondant Cream Mints are simple to make and they taste great! And even better, the recipe was almost lost to time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before I started these I did a pretty extensive online search on cream mints. I got\u2026 nothing. Then I started hunting through my collection of vintage and antique cookbooks. Finally I found one mention, then another. Along the way I stumbled upon this easy fondant cream mint recipe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Usually, cream mints are made from fondant. Not cream cheese, not marshmallows. Fondant. Like the creamy white or pastel centers you find in chocolate covered candies. It\u2019s the same stuff. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fondant Wars: Cooked vs. Uncooked<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Fondant comes in two varieties: cooked and uncooked. Making cooked fondant requires sugar, water, cream of tartar, patience, a candy thermometer, a stand mixer or really strong arms, time, and patience. Did I mention patience? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the issues with cooked fondant is that it takes so much time. It creates a wonderful product that you can then use in all kinds of candies, but it takes two days to make. Literally. First you cook it and then it has to sit in the refrigerator for 24 hours to \u201cripen\u201d so it\u2019s ready to use. Once it\u2019s ready you assemble a set of cooking utensils again and complete the candies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While cooked fondant is fun to make (especially if you have the patience), today I\u2019m going to talk about uncooked fondant. This recipe for easy fondant Cream Mints takes about half an hour to 45 minutes, plus drying time. (Cooked fondant requires drying time, too.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps this uncooked fondant recipe fell out of favor in the United States because it calls for an uncooked egg white. I have a great substitute for that, and it\u2019s meringue powder. Meringue powder is pre-cooked and safe to use. It\u2019s what cake decorators use to make Royal Icing, that rock-hard icing used for cake decorations that will break your teeth if you chomp too hard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Several different companies sell meringue powder, and you can get it online or locally. If you don\u2019t have a local cake supply store, you should be able to find Wilton meringue powder at your local grocery or craft store. One container of it goes a long way. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Flavors Old and New<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

To flavor your mints you will need a food-grade oil such as LorAnn. I\u2019ve used LorAnn oils<\/a> for many years in candies and they work very well. You\u2019ll only need 1\/4 teaspoon of the oil, unless you want them really<\/em> strong.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today when we think of mints, we automatically picture the mint flavors: spearmint, peppermint, wintergreen (wintermint). That was not true for the vintage cook. Mint flavors in the 1920s and 1930s included lime, clove, and cinnamon in addition to mint. If you truly want to put a modern spin on this vintage recipe, you can make your mints taste like black cherry, fruit punch, or root beer. All these flavors are available from the LorAnn website, plus many more \u2013\u2013 but they also make the traditional flavors of lime, clove, and cinnamon. Whatever you choose, get a flavor you like. These tiny bottles go a long way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Using Your Mints<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In the vintage household, nuts and mints often finished the meal along with a cup of coffee. A small dessert usually accompanied the meal. The sweet course already completed, the thoughtful hostess served coffee with mints rather than chocolates or anything heavy after a well-designed dinner or party. Mints cleansed the palate. They tasted refreshing. And they believed (perhaps rightly) that mints helped with digestion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can use these mints to spice up a small party. Color them to match your theme, or leave them pristine white. Include them in little nut baskets at each person’s place at the table. Or you can fill a small candy dish with them and watch them disappear as the evening continues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Begin to include them after meals for your own dinners. They are easy to make, you can create whatever flavors you like, and you are no longer dependent upon the mint manufacturers of the world who produce peppermint and spearmint. Want clove-flavored mints? Make them! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Basic How-To’s<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

To make these easy fondant Cream Mints, you will mix together meringue powder and water to equal two egg whites and then whip it with your mixer (or a whisk) until it bubbles. Then stir in your flavoring. If you want less than the 1\/4 teaspoon called for in the recipe, use less. For a very light flavor you may want to only use a few drops.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mix and knead<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Add a little salt, and then stir in, a little at a time, up to four cups confectioner\u2019s sugar. It may take awhile, and this is where your electric mixer comes in handy. You won\u2019t stop until the mixture has a clay-like consistency. It won\u2019t be as stiff as Play-doh, the wheat-based clay many of us grew up playing with. It will, however, be close. Your fondant needs to hold its shape.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ball
The clay-like fondant ball is flavored and ready to tint.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

When it reaches its clay fondant stage, remove it from the bowl and place on a flat surface to knead it until it\u2019s smooth. If you have a marble pastry board, great! I don\u2019t, so I used a silicone pastry mat. After all, a hallmark of the vintage life was use what you had at hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Three
Now the ball is divided into three, and waiting for two drops of color to be kneaded in.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Color it beautiful<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you want your mints to be two or three different colors, this is the time to divide it. I divided mine into three balls about the same size. I poked a hole in each ball and added two drops of McCormick liquid food color<\/a>. That was enough to get vibrant pink, yellow, and green. If you want even lighter pastel colors, only use one drop. If you want to color the entire batch one color, you\u2019ll use 5 to 6 drops of color or less.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Small
Pink, green, and yellow balls ready to roll and cut.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Cut and dried<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Then you’ll roll the fondant out. Use your cutter to cut small shapes, no larger than an inch. I had an ivy fondant cutter on hand. Bento cutters would work, as would any set of mini cookie cutters.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Note: <\/strong>You can\u2019t use metal cookie cutters on a silicone mat. They will cut right through it. Lift your rolled fondant to a cutting board or a sturdy platter if you want to use metal cutters and you use a silicone mat to protect your countertop. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once your mints are cut out, you let them dry. Move them to a wax- or parchment-paper covered cooling rack. Let them dry for several hours, and then turn them over to finish drying overnight. Place your finished mints in a storage container. These do not have to be refrigerated, but you will probably want to separate colors with paper if you keep them all in one container. These should keep for several weeks in an airtight container.<\/p>\n\n\n

<\/div>
\n\t
\"\"<\/div>\n\t
<\/div>\n\t<\/g><\/svg><\/span> Print Recipe<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n<\/div>\n

Easy Fondant Cream Mints<\/h2>\n
<\/div>\n
Make these cream mints to add pizzaz to your vintage meals.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Prep Time<\/span>30 minutes<\/span><\/span> mins<\/span><\/span><\/div>
Cook Time<\/span>0 minutes<\/span><\/span> mins<\/span><\/span><\/div>
Drying Time<\/span>23 hours<\/span><\/span> hrs<\/span><\/span><\/div>
Total Time<\/span>23 hours<\/span><\/span> hrs<\/span> 30 minutes<\/span><\/span> mins<\/span><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Course: <\/span>Candies<\/span><\/div>
Cuisine: <\/span>American<\/span><\/div>
Keyword: <\/span>dinner mints, fondant<\/span><\/div><\/div>\n
Servings: <\/span>12<\/span> people<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Equipment<\/h3>