25 Days of Christmas, Day 21: Peppermint Patties

I don't think I've mentioned it, but; my kids are still in school. Christmas is five days away and my kids are still in school. This irritates me for a variety of reasons, the main one being that; had we wished to take a fantastic Christmas getaway to a tropical island, we would be forced to travel on the day before Christmas Eve. And, ok, we aren't taking a tropical vacation but, we are driving to Mayberry and we might have wanted to leave earlier than Friday but, noooo; my kids don't get out of school until 3:25 on Thursday.

Also, The Teenager has final exams and; I might have liked for her to have a relaxing week before Christmas rather than stressing over maintaining her GPA. The Man-Cub's classes have revolved around watching movies so I tend to worry less about his enjoyment of the week leading up to Christmas but, still.

Of course, the late start to Christmas break means a late return to classes in the New Year but I don't really see that as an acceptable compromise for enjoying our holiday, I just don't.

Anyway, enough bitching about things that I cannot change. How about a recipe, instead?

Peppermint Patties

4 cups powdered sugar
2 Tbsp light corn syrup
1 1/2 Tbsp softened butter
2 tsp milk
1 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk (not pictured because I was using the can reserved from a prior recipe and forgot to take it out of the fridge for the picture)
2 Tbsp shortening
2 pkgs dark chocolate morsels (or semi-sweet, milk chocolate, etc., depending on your taste)

Beat powdered sugar, corn syrup, butter, milk and peppermint extract until mixture is crumbly. Add condensed milk and continue beating until a stiff dough forms. Chill for 30 minutes.

Form chilled dough into small ball, place on wax-paper-lined cookie sheets and press into disks. Freeze for several hours or until very firm.

Melt chocolate morsels and shortening in microwave, stir to mix. Dip peppermint disks into chocolate, allowing excess chocolate to drip back into the bowl. Place back on wax-paper-lined cookie sheets and freeze several hours or until very firm.

As an aside, peppermint extract, when accidentally spilled onto your hands, repels feisty kittens like the Pope repels demons. This is interesting information to have. Also, feisty kittens eventually crash and burn like toddlers on the downside of a sugar rush and, like those toddlers; they care not a whit for where they crash.

Sleep is good.