More Than an After Dinner Mint

As a rule, if something's edible, you'll likely find a specific cookbook using that particular ingredient. However, I never thought I'd see a promotional cookbook for those fluffy little pastel-colored mints that one commonly finds at restaurants and in party favors at wedding receptions and baby showers.

I was wrong.

The Touch of Mint Recipe Book (not dated, 24 pages) was published by the Thos. D. Richardson Co. At that time, the company was owned by Beatrice Foods Co. Using clues from the introduction, I think the publishing date was probably sometime around 1977. That date kind of fits too, because the last batch of booklets I acquired were all from the 1970s and early 1980s time period.

The booklet shows you how to use Richardson Mints in beverages, cookies, desserts, in snacks and in dessert toppings. I've seen them used as decorating features on cakes and such, but actually using them in the recipe? Who knew?

The first page talks about how cooking with mint is not a new idea, but one that dates back to ancient times. This is true, but that thought brings to mind the green, leafy kind of mint, not sugary pastel pink, yellow and blue pillow puffs that are more familiarly found on tip trays.

The booklet states to specifically use Richardson Mints in the recipes because they were manufactured without cornstarch, which made them easy to dissolve in water. That small note makes it easier to imagine how the recipes for Mint Sugar, Mint Syrup, Mint Ice Cubes and Mint Whipped Cream could be achieved by replacing regular mint with this confection.

Besides the front cover, which is in color, there are no other illustrations inside the booklet except for the two black and white photos of the different packaged Richardson Mint products. At that time these products consisted of the Party Jellies, Butter Mints, Club Mints, Pastel Mints and Party Patties.


MINT SYRUP

Dissolve 2 cups Richardson Pastel or Club Mints in 1 cup of boiling water. Store in covered jar in the refrigerator.

MINT ICE CUBES

Fill ice cube tray with water. Add 3 to 4 Richardson Club Mints to each section, let stand until mints are dissolved. Freeze. Use in iced tea and lemonade.

MINT SUGAR

Put Richardson Pastel or Club Mints in plastic bag and crush with rolling pin. One cup of whole mints will yield approximately 1 cup of mint sugar.

The dishes shown on the cover are the Richardson Choo-Choo Cake,Yogurt Fruit Dip, the Chocolate Pudding Flip and what I believe is the Angel Mint Dessert.



If one can make a Daiquiri Mint Cocktail using after dinner mints, I wonder what the next unusual recipe book I find will be for?