Butter mints magic

The holy grail of butter mints

Betty McEachin's butter mints were legendary growing up. Our grandmother savored them and only spare us a taste. They were cool and buttery and melt-your-mouth magical.

For as long as I remember, we were told that the recipe was a family secret. I made butter mints growing up using a recipe from American Girl magazine. I'd dye the dough and sculpt snowmen, Santas, and the North Polar Bear. My creations may have measured up in creativity and design, but they didn't compare to Betty McEachin's in taste. When Mom suggested I make mints for the wedding preception, Grandmom said that she thought she could get Betty McEachin's recipe, and procure it, she did. She passed it along saying, "The real trick, as I'm sure Betsy knows, is a cold marble slab."

The American Girl recipe that got me started. It's a completely different technique than pulled butter mints.

I had no idea that a marble slab was required or even suggested and didn't own one. Marble slab made me think of the ice cream chain, not mints. Buying one ended up being the longest step in the process. We waited for the family store to get them in, but they kept being delayed. I considered calling up a contractor to see if they had any odd-sized pieces. In the end, I went the easy route and ordered online.

Leading up to the preception, I finally got my marble slab and made a practice run. They stuck all over my hands! I quickly discovered that the directions weren't joking when it said to butter your hands. I was apprehensive that I'd somehow pull them too much, so they ended up softening and not holding their shape after I cut them. Delicious nevertheless. Traveling with the mints didn't make much sense, so I planned to make some once I was in state for the preception.

A couple of evenings before the preception, I boiled up more butter, sugar, and water and began pulling and pulling the mints. Like before, the mixture stuck all over my hands. I wanted the mints to hold their shape this time, so I pulled and pulled. The mixture kept sticking everywhere, and then, suddenly it turned to sandy crumbs.

Huh? I was startled. Had I pulled it too hard? Was it something I said? I stuck the sugar crumbs back into the pot and added more water and boiled it back to a syrup again. This time, I didn't pull quite as long and began snipping off pieces before it turned too sandy. Once again, the mints didn't hold their shape, but they did soften and melted in our mouths. After a bit of research, I discovered that the problem was likely the humidity. It had poured that afternoon, and rainy days are suboptimal for candy making.

Last weekend, we had a master class with Betty McEachin. We learned not to stir the pot as the contents boil and that peppermint oil is the way to go. And we pulled and we pulled and we pulled.

Pouring the boiling syrup onto the marble slab.

Ingredients
3 cups white sugar
1 1/2 cups water
3 Tbsp margarine*
3 Tbsp butter
1/2 tsp oil of peppermint*
* Betty said that it's probably fine to do 100% butter instead of 50/50 butter/margarine, but to use oil of peppermint rather than extract. She often finds oil of peppermint at drug stores.

1. Combine all of the ingredients except the oil of peppermint in a pot on the stove. Bring to a boil, and let it boil without stirring until mixture reaches 260-265 degrees F. This is hard ball stage. You can confirm the consistency by putting a bit on a spoon and then sticking it into a bowl of water.
2. While waiting for the mixture to reach temperature, liberally butter your marble slab. If it's a hot day, you should have already cooled down your marble slab by places ice cubes on it to chill the marble and then wiping it dry. If it's winter and cold out, no need to chill your marble beforehand.
3. When the mixture reaches 260-265, turn off the heat and pour the syrup over the marble, being sure to spread it over the surface.
4. Dab the peppermint across the surface of the syrup.
5. Butter your hands. Stretch the edges out to increase the surface area and allow the mixture to cool faster. As the edges cool, fold them back over the mixture and pull out areas that haven't yet cooled.
6. Once it has cooled enough to handle, start pulling. A single twist per each pull in order to create the ridges. See video for what it looks like.
7. Keep pulling until it begins to get hard. Then, lay your cord out on wax paper and begin cutting with kitchen shears. The cord should be ~1 inch thick and you should aim to cut the mint pieces ~1/4 inch thick. (I had always imagined that it was the reverse.) Do not let the cut mints touch on the wax paper once they're cut. Otherwise, they'll stick together.
8. Pack in airtight container with wax paper between the layers. Again, spread the mints out so that they don't touch.
9. It will take a day or so for the mints to cream, though no one will blame you if you go ahead and try one or three while they're still in their taffy state. ;)

Tips

• Too hard means that the mints were overcooked. Sandy means that the mints were under cooked.
• Do not stir the boiling mixture. Don't do it. I know you'll want to fuss over it.
• You can stir in food coloring right before pouring onto the marble if you like.
• Keep mints at room temperature. Can freeze in an airtight container. Let warm up to room temperature before giving away.
• You can't compete with the master who has been making these for decades. Her touch will always be the epitome of butter mints.

Packing the cut mints away, and maybe snitching a couple tastes, too.