Makes … a bunch? About 4 dozen
4 hours to overnight, including drying time and dipping time
1 can sweetened condensed milk (like Eagle brand), the small can
1 Tbsp. Peppermint extract or Peppermint flavouring
6 cups icing sugar, plus a bit more for rolling
1 1/2 lbs chocolate coating, to dip the peppermints
I highly suggest using a Kitchenaid or other power mixer to mix the dough, but doing it by hand will work if you keep at it. Mix the sweetened condensed milk and peppermint extract together until well blended. Slowly add in the 6 cups of icing (powdered, confectioners', it all means the same thing) sugar to the mix. Blend until a fairly stiff dough is formed; turn the dough out onto a surface lightly coated with more icing sugar, or with plastic wrap. Knead until the dough is smooth. Prepare a cookie sheet or jelly roll pan, or even your countertop, with waxed or parchment paper dusted with icing sugar. Tear off 1" balls of the dough, roll, then flatten onto the cookie sheet. Leave to dry for at least an hour, then flip and allow to dry on the other side. These can be left overnight to dry as well, but I've found the best length of time is about 3 hours each side.
Melt your chocolate coating – I use a microwave and stir very frequently (every 20 seconds), because once you burn chocolate there is no fixing it! Use two forks, and when the chocolate is melted, dip each peppermint patty into the chocolate, scrape the fork against the edge of the bowl, and lay the pattie down on some clean waxed paper.
I like to make these in small little 1" patties, but you can make them a little bigger if you like. Too big though, and they get very difficult to dip. Happy Holidays!