Line a large rimmed baking tray with parchment paper. Place the granulated sugar into a small bowl. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl with a handheld mixer on low speed, beat the cream cheese, unsalted butter, light corn syrup, and peppermint extract for 1 minute or until smooth.

Slowly add 4¼ cups powdered sugar, ½ cup at a time, to the bowl with the mixer on low. Once you get close to incorporating all of the powdered sugar, your dough will be so thick that you may need to switch to a spatula or wooden spoon and finish mixing the dough by hand.

Lay out a piece of parchment paper onto a clean counter and sprinkle ¼ cup of the remaining powdered sugar onto the parchment paper, then turn out your dough onto the parchment paper.

Divide the dough into three equal parts. Create a shallow well in the center of two of the dough balls. In the first dough ball, add the red food coloring. Add the green food coloring to the second dough ball, and your last dough ball will remain white.

Carefully knead your red dough ball to evenly distribute the food coloring. You will need to add up to an additional ¼ cup of powdered sugar as you knead because the liquid food coloring will make your dough sticky. Repeat with the green dough ball. You may need to knead your white dough just a little with a tablespoon or 2 of additional powdered sugar. Note: The amount of extra powdered sugar you need for kneading depends on how wet/sticky your dough is. If the temperature is very warm, you may need more, or if very cold, you may need less. Don’t add too much powdered sugar at once. Remember, you can always add more, but you can’t take it away.

Once all your Christmas peppermint patty dough balls have been colored and kneaded, roll each dough ball into a rope about 18 inches long (it should be about 1 inch thick).

Make ½-inch slices, starting at one end, until you have cut the entire rope into ½-inch pieces. Repeat with the remaining dough ropes.

Roll all the pieces of peppermint dough in the palm of your hand to make little balls. Set aside.

Using the tip of a fork, lightly press the Christmas peppermint patties into little discs. The tines of the fork will leave a pretty striped pattern on the tops of each peppermint patty.

Allow the Christmas peppermint patties to sit out at room temperature, on the tray, for up to 24 hours before you place them onto a platter to serve. This allows them to dry and set up.