Thankful 12

I am thankful today that I am home from work one more day.  And thankful I finished making the peppermint patties I make every year at this time.  It's a soothing thing to make, everyone loves them.  Here goes:

 Twelve cups of powdered sugar.

 One 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk

 One cup butter, melted and 3/4 teaspoons peppermint oil (NOT extract, use oil)

 Use your scrupulously clean hands to mix.  It really is the only way. (Holy cow! Is my hand really that wrinkly?????)

 Knead till it's the consistency of PlayDoh.

 Form balls about the size of a walnut and flatten. Lay on a cookie sheet lined with parchment.

 I layer and layer with cling wrap between the layers. Then cover and put in the fridge overnight to harden.

 Next day melt 4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips with 8 Tablespoons Crisco (or other white vegetable shortening). This sounds yucky (the Crisco part) but it keeps the chocolate from forming that gray crawl.  Drop a pattie into the chocolate and immediately fish out with a fork.

Line them on another cookie sheet lined with parchment. Put in the fridge to set then store in a container with parchment between the layers.  Store in the fridge (or as I do, in tins on the back porch).  They keep forever but since everyone loves them, they don't last forever!