Everyone likes to indulge in rich foods, such as Christmas pudding and Christmas cake, sweets and candy at Christmas time. Sugar is the main ingredient of peppermint sweets, which is why they were so scarce and why they became a luxury item. If you want to make peppermint sweets at your home, you need to think yourself genius. Wash your hands and clean the work surfaces before you begin to make peppermint sweets. However you will need 12 tablespoons of icing sugar, 1 egg white, green food coloring (optional), peppermint flavoring and cooking chocolate.

Then add to a bowl the icing sugar, egg white, 4 drops of peppermint flavoring and 12 drops of green food coloring. Mix well and form the mixture to a smooth ball. If the mixture is a little too wet add more icing sugar. Then roll the ball into a large sausage and slice into individual sweets. Use your hands to shape the sweets and leave them on a chopping board to dry.

Take a help from the microwave to melt the chocolate in a dish and it will take minute or two. In fact it just needs enough time to melt, don't go for over do it. If you do not have a microwave, you may stand a mixing bowl inside a pan of boiling water on the hob and keep the water simmering. Don't let any water bubble over the side and into the chocolate because this spoils the chocolate. Be careful not to let the pan boil dry.

Wash each sweet into the chocolate pieces, and leave it on some tinfoil until the chocolate sets. You could buy a small metallic gift box or gift bag, or you could bundle the sweets in paper napkins tied up with ribbon or tinsel to package your home made sweets. These will look a bit like mini Santa sacks.