Step 1

Line a large baking tray with parchment and set aside.

Step 2

In a large mixing bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter on high speed until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed (about 15-30 seconds).

Step 3

Add in peppermint and 2 cups of powdered sugar. Mix on low speed until combined. Gradually add in 2 more cups of powdered sugar until a soft, pliable dough forms (you can use a mixer for this step or mix/knead with your hands). The dough should not be too sticky to work with. If your dough is too sticky, add a little more powdered sugar.

Step 4

If you plan on coloring the dough, add in the food coloring now (1 drop at a time) and mix it in until the dough is uniform in color. I divided my dough into four parts, adding red food coloring for pink mints, green food coloring for green mints, blue food coloring for blue mints and yellow food coloring for yellow mints. Add only 1 drop of food coloring at a time because you don't need a lot of food coloring to color the dough.

Step 5

Keep dough covered loosely with a paper towel to prevent it from drying. Break off a small portion of dough and roll it into a rope that is 1/2 inch thick. Repeat with the remaining dough. Use a sharp knife to cut each rope into 1/2 inch long pieces. So your mints should be approximately 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch. If the dough is sticking to the knife, you can dust the knife with powdered sugar before cutting. Transfer the cut mints to your parchment lined baking tray.

Step 6

Let the mints sit uncovered for several hours or overnight to dry and firm up. When mints are ready, they should have a dry and slightly firm exterior (but they will still be soft if you apply pressure). Once mints are ready, you can serve right away or place into an airtight container and store in the fridge.