Grandma Afton’s Buttermints

Recipe from Sharon Bouck

Ingredients

• 1 cube butter (1/2 cup)

• 3 cups sugar, EXACTLY

• 1 cups HOT water

• Scant 1/4 tsp peppermint oil

• 3 to 4 drops red OR green food coloring

• Candy thermometer

• Marble slab

• Candy scraper

Directions

THIS IS HARD!

Put the butter, sugar and water in a 3 quart heavy aluminum saucepan. Cook on medium heat and bring to a boil. Then turn it down to low (don’t let it overflow!) Wash down sides of pan with water on a pastry brush to keep sugar crystals from forming. Let it cook down for 4–5 minutes.

Warm candy thermometer in hot water and put into mixture. Do not take it out once it is in. Cook until desired temperature (see below), brushing down sides once again.  

Pour onto well-buttered marble slab that is at room temperature. Let it rest a moment then pull in edges with a spatula paddle to keep edges of mixture warm. A plastic or hard rubber paddle is best.

Add drops of pink or green coloring and peppermint oil. Start folding in with paddle until cooled enough to be able to pick up. Twist and pull until it is a dull color and gets harder to pull. Pull into a long rope and cut into 6 or 8 sections that are easier to work with. Pull and twist into a thin rope, then cut into “pillows” (bite-size pieces) with kitchen shears.  Let cool about two hours and put in an air-tight container with wax paper between layers of mints.  Let mellow for a few days in a cool place or refrigerator. Store up to 3 weeks in refrigerator.

Notes

Test to see where your candy thermometer comes to a boil. Cook the mixture to 65º above your boiling point on the thermometer.

Example:  Mom’s comes to a boil at 200º, so she cooks it to 265º.