By Five weeks. Debbie is in final coordination mode. She sent me three texts before eight in the morning on Monday and one of them had a chart in it. A chart. Tyler looked at it and said yes that is the chart she made for Marcus wedding. She updates it each time. He was not surprised. I was not surprised either anymore. I have learned to see the love inside the logistics. The chart is how she loves.
I have been visiting Gloria every Sunday as always but also on Wednesdays now. She asked me why I was coming midweek. I said I wanted to see her more before the wedding because after the wedding things would be different, not worse, but different, and I wanted to get as much of this in before the change. She said that was a very mature thing to say. I said thank you. She said she had thought the same thing.
Destiny is starting second grade next week. She is excited about her backpack. She has had the backpack since June and has been wearing it around the house to get ready. Gloria says she sometimes wears it to dinner. I think about that image a lot. A child so ready for the next thing that she practices wearing the gear for it. I understand that completely. The difference is I was not excited about my next thing when I was seven. Destiny is excited. That is the whole point of everything.
Debbie has her chart. Destiny has her backpack. And I have been thinking about what I can do with my hands to feel like I am contributing to the preparing. These butter mints are what came to me — no oven, just softened butter and powdered sugar and a little patience, shaped into something small and pretty that you can set out at a shower or tuck into a favor bag or just leave on a plate for people to find. There is something about making a candy that requires kneading that feels right for a season like this one, when you are pressing your care into something tangible because the feelings are too large to just sit with.
Butter Mints
Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: None | Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes (includes setting time) | Servings: 40 mints
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted, plus more for dusting
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon pure peppermint extract
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- Food coloring (optional, pastel shades work beautifully)
Instructions
- Cream the butter. In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter with a hand mixer on medium speed for about 2 minutes until light and fluffy. The butter should be truly room temperature — not melted, not cold.
- Add sugar and cream. Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually add the sifted powdered sugar, alternating with the heavy cream, beginning and ending with the powdered sugar. Mix until a thick dough forms.
- Add flavoring. Mix in the peppermint extract, vanilla extract, and salt. Taste and adjust peppermint to your preference — some people like it bold, some like it gentle.
- Divide and color. If using food coloring, divide the dough into portions and knead a drop or two of coloring into each portion by hand on a surface lightly dusted with powdered sugar, until the color is even throughout.
- Shape the mints. Pinch off small pieces of dough and roll between your palms into smooth balls roughly 3/4 inch in diameter, or roll the dough into a log and slice into rounds. Press each gently with a fork to flatten slightly if you like the classic ribbed look.
- Set and dry. Arrange the shaped mints on a parchment-lined baking sheet in a single layer. Leave uncovered at room temperature for at least 1 hour, or up to overnight, until the outside is firm to the touch and slightly set. They will remain creamy inside.
- Store. Transfer to an airtight container with parchment between layers. Butter mints keep at room temperature for up to one week, or refrigerated for up to three weeks. They also freeze beautifully for up to two months.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 52 | Protein: 0g | Fat: 1.5g | Carbs: 10g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 8mg