Sugar Mice and Peppermint Creams - Help!

[FLAMEinEckItsYuleAgain]

Money is tight, so I got it into my head that people will find DD-made peppermint creams and sugar mice endearing (and not a rip off )... but I can't remember how to make the bloody things or how long they keep for.

I haven't made em since I was about 11! (The recipe books I have are all for "meals" and cooking techniques... gotta get me a decent basics book!!

right ... have recipes for coconut mice and Peppermint creams somewhere , will try to locate now

Peppermint creams

White from one large egg or two small eggs
8 oz icing sugar
Peppermint essence or peppermint oil

Method:
Beat the egg white in a bowl with a fork and sieve in 6 oz of icing sugar
Mix well with a wooden spoon and slowly sieve in more icing sugar, half a tablespoon at a time until you have made a stiff paste. Shake a little icing sugar on the work surface and empty the paste onto this. Add 3/4 drops of peppermint essence or oil and gently knead it together with your fingers until you have a smooth paste. Have a taste of a small piece and if the flavour is not strong enough, add a few more drops of the peppermint.

Rub icing sugar on a rolling pin and roll the paste to quarter of an inch (0.5cm) thick. Cut out individual peppermint creams with a cutter - a round one or any other shape you have handy. Cover a plate with non-stick parchment or greaseproof paper and place the peppermint shapes on the paper. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave overnight in a cool place (but not the fridge). Store in small paper cases in an airtight tin.

I made some with ds, then he came home with some from school. I hate them, and have had to make a great show of appreciating his culinary expertise

Peppermint Creams

To make about 25 peppermint creams, you will need:
-250g icing sugar
-half the while of a small egg, mixed from dried egg white (mix as directed on the packet)
-1 tsp peppermint flavouring
-2 tsps lemon juice
-green food dye
-a rolling pin
-a baking sheet covered in plastic food wrap

1. sift the icing sugar through a sieve into a large bowl. Make a hole in the middle of the sugar with a spoon.

1. Mix the egg white, peppermint flavouring and lemon juice in a small bowl. Pour the mixture into the sugar

1. Use a bluntknife to stir the mixture. Then squeeze it between your fingers until it is smooth, like a dough.

1. Cut the mixture into 2 pieces. Put each into a bowl and a few drops of green food dye to one bowl.

1. Use your fingers to mix in the dye. If the mixture is sticky, add a little more icing sugar and mix it in.

1. Sprinkle a little icing sugar onto a clean work surface. Sprinkle some onto a rolling pin too, to stop the mixture sticking.

1. Roll out the green mixture until it is about as thick as your little finger. Use cutters to cut out lots of shapes.

1. Use a blunt knife to carefully lift out the shapes and place onto a the baking sheet. Roll out the white mixture and cut out more shapes.

1. Lift all the shapes onto the backing sheet. Leave them for at least an hour until they become hard.

hope that helps

fmf!!!

you should have esp'd me to say you were typing that - my lil ol fingers are SO tired now

sorry MP just happened to have recipe book at my fingertips...!

You lovely people!

I'm not keen on them either desperately, but people tend to be more grateful to recieve dodgy sweets from a preschooler than a 25 yr old

Keep repeating to myself "its the thought that counts"

Oh you!

well done my friend - btw, hope you are full of the joys of Christmas etc

oh deffo Flamey - I think it was tears of appreciation I spotted in the teacher's eyes when little ds handed over a crumpled bag full of crumbly star cookies he had made himself...I'm sure she looked grateful...People often look a little green round the gills when they're overcome with emotion. Don't they????

Enjoy making them!

Either of you got the mice as well?

(I'm sure that green is "I am overwhelmed with joy" colour)

god you're so demanding...

back in a mo.

200g desiccated coconut powder
1/2 tin condensed milk
100g icing sugar
chocolate buttons for making into ears
4-5 glace cherries, cut into small pieces for making eyes
10-15 silver balls, for making nose.
Strawberry laces for tails

Coconut Mice

Method:
Mix together condensed milk, desiccated coconut powder and icing sugar to get a soft dough.
Take a small quantity of the dough, the size of a lemon and form into an elongated mouse shape.
Use silver balls for nose, glazed cherry pieces for eyes and halved choc buttons for ears.
Leave in a cool place before serving.
Serves: 10-12
Preparation time: 15-20 minutes

You can add cocoa powder to the mix for choclate (brown) mice
OR if you don't mind food colouring, add drop of cohineal to the mix to make pink mice.

You star!!!

Any idea how long peppermint creams keep? (Thinking about the raw egg...)

curse you Flame, and fmf ..

have just spent ages making the coconut mice and we have hundreds of the buggers now!!!

rather then roll out the peppermint creams i normally just make small balls with the mixture and the fletten them a little,if the mixture is slightly too wet then you get an awful mess trying to roll it out.

MP - guess what all your family are getting for xmas then??

Corrina - if it gets sticky while rolling out, just add more icing sugar.

Flamey - no idea how long they keep, hope somebody else can help!