Bridal/Baby Shower Mints

Okay, I have to say it's harder to keep up on the blog than I thought it would be.  Life just gets a little crazy and then a week has flown by and you haven't been on the computer, let alone your blog.  (Sigh)  I have been working on a ton of projects, just haven't uploaded them...but be warned, they are coming!

We had a "Church lady" wedding mint making party last Thursday.  The Church ladies are my Church friends and I have been fortunate enough to be a part of this group of amazing women for the last 11 plus years.  When we sit down to make the mints it's also a time to keep up on each other's lives and to give out great advice.  There is no real skill involved with the mint making and even my kids have helped when we were short on ladies.  My friend Jenny makes the cream cheese "dough" a day or so in advance, I don't know her recipe, but here is one that I have used in the past and think it's pretty close:

Cream Cheese Mints
1 8 ounce package of cream cheese
1 2 pound bag of powdered sugar
10-12 drops of flavoring (your choice and to taste)
food coloring
sugar for coating

Mix ingredients in a mixer, the powdered sugar will fly so cover your mixer with a towel.  You want to make the dough ahead of time and refrigerate for a day or two before putting into molds.  If the dough is too sticky when you go to make the molds you can add more powdered sugar, they should have the consistency of play dough.

You will need the flexible/rubbery molds that will allow you to "pop" the mint out easier.  When you go to make the mints, remember that the color you make them is important...bright or dark colors aren't always pretty when they stick to the teeth.

To mold the mints: add regular sugar to the mold and pinch off a small amount of dough.  Roll the dough into a ball and roll the ball in the regular sugar then push into the mold (the more sugar you and to the outside the easier the mint will pop out of the mold.)  Once the dough is pushed into the mold, you will want to level the back of so that it's level with the mold.  Pop out onto a flat surface and let stand for an hour or two, then line an air-tight container with wax paper and stack carefully.  You can put in the fridge if your event is coming soon, or in the freezer for a few months.  (I know I'm not alone in sneaking a bit or two when there are leftovers.

If you are making mints for a big occasion you can double or triple this recipe...and keep in mind the shape/size of your mold this will determine how much dough you will need.

Thanks to my friends for letting me take this picture ;-) and a special thanks too Sue for being my hand model!

Til next time...
Renae