The Cheese Must Soften

1. Allow the cream cheese to soften to room temperature in a large mixing bowl. Add the mint extract. If you are making all your mints the same color, add one teaspoon of food coloring now. If you want to make mints out of several different colors wait to add the food coloring until you have kneaded in the sugar.

2. Add the powdered sugar, about 1/2 cup at a time, into the cream cheese mixture. At first you will be able to stir it with a wooden spoon but pretty soon the mixture will begin to resemble clay. Knead the remaining powdered sugar into the mixture until it is even and smooth.

3. Divide the mixture into as many pieces as you want colors of mints (unless you already added the food coloring earlier). Drop several drops of food coloring onto each piece and knead to distribute the color throughout the mixture.

4. Pull off about an inch of the candy from the main lump. Roll it into a ball. Place the ball into a bowl filled with one cup of granulated sugar. Take the ball out. Press it into the rubber candy mold so that the candy fills the cavity. Scrape off any extra candy from the back of the mold.

5. Push the candy out of the rubber mold. If it sticks, dip the mold into the bowl of granulated sugar before making the next piece.

6. Allow the molded mints to sit in the air for about a half hour before carefully layering it on wax paper in an air tight container. Store in the refrigerator or freeze the cream cheese molded mints to serve later.