Ingredients
– 55g butter, at room temperature
– 0.25 tsp salt
– 370g + 35g (if needed) sifted icing sugar
– 100g condensed milk
– 2–3 drops peppermint oil or 0.5 tsp peppermint extract *
– optional: a few drops of red and green food coloring for a more colorful result **
Instructions
Using either a stand mixer or a hand mixer, cream the butter and salt at high speed (medium speed for a stand mixer) for a few minutes until it becomes pale and fluffy.
Next, add 370g of icing sugar, 100g of condensed milk, and your chosen flavoring oil or extract. Mix on low to medium speed until the dough is uniform. If it feels too moist, add the remaining 35g of icing sugar. The final result should look dry and crumbly but should hold together and be moldable when squeezed.
Taste your dough. If you prefer a stronger flavor, add 1 drop of oil or 0.25 tsp of extract at a time, knead, and taste again.
If you want different colored candies, take the dough out of the bowl and divide it into several balls, then tint them using the mixer or by hand. Wrap each colored ball in plastic wrap and set aside. Icing sugar-based candies dry out quickly, so this keeps the dough workable.
Since there is quite a lot of candy mass, it is best to work in at least two or three batches. Take the first portion of dough and roll it into a long rope about 1cm in diameter. Cut the rope into 1cm pieces using a knife or a pizza cutter. Repeat with the rest of the dough. Spread the candies evenly on a large tray and let them air dry for about twenty minutes; they will develop a lovely crisp shell while remaining soft and melt-in-the-mouth on the inside.
Store the candies at room temperature in a sealed jar. If left out in the air, they will continue to dry. Since the candies contain butter, they should be eaten within about a week—if they last that long, of course.