My mother loves Junior Mints, but her cardiologist tells her not to eat chocolate, so she’s given up that treat. One year, our #3 daughter gave her a box of pastel ones, coated in pastel candy (white “chocolate”, maybe?), but that seems to have been a one-off, and I couldn’t find any last year or this year.
So I went internettin’ and found this DIY recipe.
I found, as I got started, that I did NOT have any peppermint extract! I do have mint in the back(space)yard, so I picked some and simmered it in a bit of water and used some of that water in the recipe. It wasn’t strong enough, I’ll tell you that right now. The filling turned out yummy, but not very minty.
So the filling was cut into rounds and coldifyin’ in the freezer, and … I didn’t have any white chocolate.
On The Fly Candy Coating
powdered (confectioner’s) sugar- vegan margarine
- dash of salt
- vanilla almond milk
I also added a bit of the mint-water, which you won’t need to do if you make the filling properly instead of jury-rigging it like I did. Mix the coating until it’s smooth and kind of thick. Divide into as many colors as you want, add a drop of coloring to each bowl and stir well. Nuke it in the microwave or heat it over a double boiler until it’s pretty runny. Take out a few mints and dip one at a time into the coating, lifting with a fork and sliding carefully onto waxed paper.
Looks pretty, and tastes pretty good.
I just now found this one from Instructables, which I may use next year, using mint extract and white chocolate. What do you think, Mom?
A WRITING PROMPT FOR YOU: A character tries to recreate a lost treat for another.
MA
Nicholle Olores
April 13, 2012 at 12:53amVegans are creative and good when it comes to food. I actually love also Junior mints. By the way, glad to be back here! See you more soon. 🙂
Marian Allen
April 13, 2012 at 7:39amHi, Nicholle! I missed you! About vegans: I got a really good cookbook and showed it to our vegan daughter, and she said, “I’ve gotten to be like Dad. I just like to keep it simple.” Meaning I’m trying to learn about seitan and tempeh and tofu, and she’s just cooking vegetables and eating raw fruit. lol!
MA
L. Diane Wolfe
April 11, 2012 at 7:41pmSince I’m a vegan, I’ll have to try that! I don’t eat chocolate either.
Marian Allen
April 11, 2012 at 9:31pmWe’re sort of almost vegan. Even our vegan daughter eats her own chickens’ eggs, because she KNOWS they’re happy and well-treated.
MA
The Golden Eagle
April 11, 2012 at 6:32pmThose look good! 🙂
The Golden Eagle
The Eagle’s Aerial Perspective
Marian Allen
April 11, 2012 at 9:28pmThey ARE good, Golden, if I do say so myself. 🙂 What’s more important, Mom likes them.
MA
mary montague sikes
April 11, 2012 at 5:06pmLove the mints. They look beautiful.
Thanks for having me at the bottom. What a surprise!
Good luck with A to Z.
Monti
Marian Allen
April 11, 2012 at 9:27pmThanks, Monti! Good luck to you, too. I’ve been enjoying your trip around the world in 26 letters. 🙂
MA
STephen Tremp
April 11, 2012 at 9:36amI have to say Vegans are very resourceful and creative in the way they prepare food. And treats.
Marian Allen
April 11, 2012 at 3:47pmIt’s amazing how easy it is to cook and eat vegan. I try it sometimes, just to make it easier to cook for pitch-ins where our vegan daughter will be, and it isn’t nearly as difficult as I expected. 🙂