This recipe was inspired by my Christmas book, Dear Santa! These Christmas Butter Mints are a delightful treat to pop in your mouth – and gift to others! To get the bright red color, we used red food coloring gel instead of regular food coloring. This can be purchased in the baking section at most craft stores or online.
In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat butter until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Slowly add the powdered sugar and incorporate on low speed. Add the evaporated milk, extracts and salt; mix on medium speed until combined.
Remove half of the dough and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Add red food coloring to the remaining dough in the bowl and mix well. Transfer from the bowl to a piece of plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Remove doughs from the refrigerator and cut into 4 pieces each. Twist one piece of red and one piece of white together a few times until swirled, but still separate colors (mix too much and it will turn pink). Place in the center of a piece of waxed paper, fold over dough, then use your hands to roll into a log about 1 inch in diameter.Remove logs from the refrigerator and use a sharp knife to slice into ¼-inch slices. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and let air dry for at least 12 hours, uncovered, until dry and hard.

Christmas Butter Mints
Makes 3 dozen

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 pound powdered sugar
2 tablespoons evaporated milk
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
10 drops red food coloring gel

In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat butter until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Slowly add the powdered sugar and incorporate on low speed. Add the evaporated milk, extracts and salt; mix on medium speed until combined. Remove half of the dough and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Add red food coloring to the remaining dough in the bowl and mix well. Transfer from the bowl to a piece of plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Remove doughs from the refrigerator and cut into 4 pieces each. Twist one piece of red and one piece of white together a few times until swirled, but still separate colors (mix too much and it will turn pink). Place in the center of a piece of waxed paper, fold over dough, then use your hands to roll into a log about 1 inch in diameter. Twist ends and place in refrigerator while you repeat with remaining pieces of dough.

Remove logs from the refrigerator and use a sharp knife to slice into ¼-inch slices. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and let air dry for at least 12 hours, uncovered, until dry and hard.