Ingredients
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 tsp. mint extract
2 3/4 c. powdered sugar, divided
2 drops green food gel, or 5-6 drops green food coloring
5 Andes mint chocolate candies
5 oz. semi-sweet (60%) chocolate, chopped
1/4 c. heavy cream
Preparation
Step 1Line a sheet tray with parchment paper.Step 2In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add mint extract and beat until blended. Add 1 cup of powdered sugar and food coloring and beat until smooth and uniformly green. Add remaining powdered sugar gradually, and beat until creamy and thick. Freeze for 30 minutes.Step 3Roll a teaspoon of mixture with your hands to shape into a ball, and place on the prepared baking sheet. Press down slightly with your thumb to create a button shape. Repeat using remaining mixture and refrigerate mints for 1 hour.Step 4In the meantime, chop each Andes candy crosswise into 6 pieces. Then chop once vertically to get 12 mini squares. Repeat with remaining Andes. Set aside. Step 5Place semi-sweet chocolate pieces in a heat-safe bowl.Step 6In a small saucepan, bring the heavy cream to a just about simmer over low heat. Remove from heat and pour over the chocolate. Whisk to melt chocolate until smooth.Step 7Using a tall glass for support, pour the ganache into pastry bag. Step 8Once mints are chilled and hardened, snip the tip of pastry bag or resealable bag and drizzle ganache across each button in a zig-zag pattern.Step 9Top with chopped Andes mint chocolate candies and chill the buttons for one hour. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
Made them? Let us know how it went in the comment section below.
