Mint Meltaways and/or homemade soft Candy Canes

This are nice little minty bites - similar to a butter mint.  If you like, add the peppermint extract, mix well and divide the dough in half.  Keep half white, color the other half with red.  Roll into two ropes (one white, one red), twist together and refrigerate.  Cut and sugar as below.

  3 Ounce Cream Cheese, Room Temp                                      4 Drops Yellow Food Coloring

  3 Cups Confectioners Sugar                                                    2 Drops Blue Food Coloring

  2 Tsp Peppermint Extract                                                         3/4 Cup Granulated Sugar

 

Combine cream cheese and confectioners sugar and beat for 1 minute.  Add extract and food coloring, mix well until mixture is green.  If this becomes too stiff for your mixer, you can knead it by hand.  Cut two pieces of parchment to fit a cookie sheet.  Press the mixture as flat as you can with your hands, sugar both sides with a dusting of confectioners sugar and put between the pieces of parchment.  Use a rolling pin and roll to 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick.  Refrigerate for at least an hour OR Freeze for 15 minutes.  Put Granulated sugar in a gallon size ziploc bag.  Use a pizza cutter to cut the mints into the size(s) you want and place into the bag.  Shake gently to coat with sugar.  Refrigerate until ready to use - up to 3 weeks.  Can be Frozen.