Peppermint creams

The Victorian after-dinner confection that defined English peppermint culture: fondant-smooth discs of icing sugar and egg white, flavoured with peppermint oil and left to dry into a clean, cool sweetness

Origin: England, Victorian era

From the journey of Mint.

Peppermint creams are the confection that made the Mitcham peppermint industry famous and gave Victorian England its signature after-dinner flavour. The Mitcham fields of Surrey had been producing peppermint oil commercially since the 1750s, and by the mid-Victorian era the crystallised sugar confectionery trade was one of London's major industries: boiled sugar sweets, mint imperials, peppermint drops, and the soft fondant peppermint cream were all staples of the confectioner's shop and the Christmas box of sweets. The particular appeal of the peppermint cream, as opposed to a hard boiled mint sweet, was its texture: soft, smooth, and almost liquid in the first moment of contact with the mouth, then gradually dissolving into a wash of peppermint coolness. This sensation is entirely dependent on the menthol content of peppermint oil (significantly higher than spearmint's), which triggers the cold-sensing TRPM8 receptor in the mouth even at room temperature; what we experience as 'cool' from peppermint is a neurological illusion, not an actual reduction in temperature. Peppermint creams are the food form in which this illusion is most clearly presented: a room-temperature sweet that tastes cold. After-dinner mints: the commercial chocolate-coated peppermint fondant descended directly from this tradition; remain among the most widely consumed confectionery items in Britain.

Ingredients

sugar

  • 300 g icing (powdered) sugar, sifted, plus extra for dusting

binder

  • 1 egg white (from a large egg), or 1.5 tbsp pasteurised egg white

flavour

  • 0.5 tsp peppermint extract (pure peppermint oil or extract, not spearmint, not 'mint flavouring')

acid

  • 1 tsp lemon juice (prevents crystallisation and adds brightness)

optional chocolate

  • 100 g dark chocolate (70% minimum), melted (optional, for half-dipping)

Method

  1. In a large bowl, combine the sifted icing sugar, egg white, peppermint extract, and lemon juice. Mix with a fork initially, then knead with your hands until you have a smooth, firm, non-sticky dough. If too sticky, add more icing sugar a tablespoon at a time. If too dry and crumbly, add a tiny drop of water.
  2. Lightly dust a clean surface with icing sugar. Roll the dough to about 5mm thickness. Cut into rounds using a small (3-4cm) round cutter, or roll into small balls and flatten gently with the palm of your hand.
  3. Place the cut rounds on a sheet of baking paper and leave uncovered to dry at room temperature for at least 2 hours, ideally overnight. They will firm up on the surface while remaining slightly soft in the centre.
  4. Once dry, eat as they are; or half-dip in melted dark chocolate for the classic Victorian after-dinner mint. To dip: hold each cream and lower it halfway into the chocolate, shake off the excess, and return to the paper. Allow the chocolate to set completely.

Notes

This recipe uses peppermint (Mentha × piperita) oil or extract specifically; the high menthol content of peppermint is what gives peppermint creams their characteristic cooling sensation. Spearmint extract would produce a weaker, less distinctively 'minty' result. Pure peppermint oil is more concentrated than extract: if using oil, start with a smaller quantity and adjust. Peppermint creams keep for 2 weeks in an airtight tin at room temperature.

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