Uses for Leftover Candy Canes | Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

As a blogger, I’m always trying to challenge myself.I make new goals each year, try out new recipes, and broaden my reach as much as possible. That’s why today I’m taking part in a blogger Christmas cookie swap!If you’re not sure what this is – it’s where a bunch of foodie bloggers create tasty Christmas cookie recipes and readers can hop from one blog to the next – getting a whole bunch of new recipes added to their holiday gathering arsenal.If you’re here from Sam Weaver’s blog, welcome! If you’re just starting out on this cookie journey, welcome to you as well. After you watch the recipe video or read the recipe, be sure to scroll down and check out With Love From Catt’s recipe after mine.

Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

Leftover candy canes are crushed and placed atop chocolatey peppermint cookies that are perfect for the holiday season.

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (softened // 1 stick equals 1/2 cup)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 tsp natural peppermint extract
• 1 1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour (or whole-wheat pastry)
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 candy cane (finely crushed)
• 1/3 cup dark (bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together for about 1-2 minutes. Add egg, peppermint extract and beat until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides as you go to ensure even mixing.
3. Add flour, salt, cocoa powder, baking soda and powder to a sifter and sift gradually over the wet ingredients mixing as you go. Mix until well combined.
4. Add chocolate chips and stir in with a mixing spoon and then chill in the freezer for 10 minutes while the oven finishes heating.
5. Form the dough into small balls (heaping 1 Tbsp) and place 1.5 inches apart on an un-greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Press the tops down and then top with a few more chocolate chips (to indicate what’s inside).
6. Bake for 10-12 minutes – the edges should start to dry but the tops will still be slightly soft looking. Let set on the cookie sheet for a few minutes more but sprinkle crushed candy cane on immediately.
7. Transfer to a cooling rack to rest until completely cooled. Store in an airtight container to keep fresh for up to a few days or freeze for several weeks.

Dessert

American

candy cane, chocolate, Christmas, cookies

More Cookie Recipes You'll Love

Cast Iron Skillet Chocolate Chunk CookieLemon & Raspberry Swirl CookiesSweet Tea Iced Shortbread Cookies If you enjoyed this cookie recipe, be sure to SUBSCRIBE to my YouTube channel to see more!Next up on the cookie swap is Catt at WithLoveFromCatt.com. Her Raspberry Filled Linzer cookies look so yummy and I can't wait to try them myself! Go check out her recipe here.

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How to Make Homemade Hot Chocolate

Do you have any family Christmas traditions?

One of our favorite family activities is driving around to see Christmas lights each year. Sometimes we stay close by and others, we’ll drive quite a ways. But the outcome is always the same – we create lasting moments with our family that we will always remember.

Now, Christmas light viewing isn’t complete without having a cup of warm hot chocolate in your hands. Before we leave the house, I’ll make my super easy homemade hot chocolate recipe. This stuff is delicious, y’all.No, it’s not as easy as just opening up a packet and adding some hot water, but it is so creamy and delicious that you’ll never want to go back to the packets if you can help it.So whether it’s an evening of driving around in the car or a day spent opening up presents, this recipe is one the kids and kids at heart in your family will love. And make sure to include a few toppings for each person to make it their own.

What Toppings Go Well With Hot Cocoa?

The amount of toppings are endless when it comes to what you can put on your hot coca. Some of my favorite toppings include: marshmallows, toffee bits, coarse sea salt, mini chocolate chips, crushed peppermints, candy canes, soft peppermint sticks, whoppers, Lindt truffles, pirouette cookies, whipped cream, dark chocolate syrup, and caramel sauce.

Homemade Hot Cocoa

• ¼ cup cocoa powder
• ½ cup hot water
• 20 ounces chopped semi-sweet chocolate
• 10 cups whole milk (or 2%)
• 2 ½ cups half and half
• 1 12 ounces can evaporated milk (not fat-free)
• ½ cup sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Stove Top Instructions

1. Add the water and cocoa powder to a large stock pot and whisk until mixed.

2. To the cocoa mixture, add the chopped chocolate, milk, half and half, evaporated milk, and salt.

3. Heat over medium heat until the chocolate is melted, stirring periodically.

Slow Cooker Instructions

1. Start by adding the cocoa powder to a bowl, pour in the hot water, and whisk until mixed.

2. Add the cocoa mixture along with the chopped chocolate, milk, half and half, evaporated milk, and salt to a 6-quart slow cooker or larger. If you're serving this with a hot chocolate bar and toppings, consider leaving out the sugar to avoid the hot chocolate being too sweet. If you're serving the hot chocolate solo, add in the sugar.

3. Cook the hot chocolate on the high setting for 3-4 hours or on low for 6 hours. Low for 6 hours is what I prefer. Make sure to stir the hot chocolate every hour to keep the chocolate from settling to the bottom.
4. Keep on the warm setting if you're serving it hot chocolate bar style with toppings on the side. Leftover hot chocolate can be refrigerated for up to one week and warmed in the microwave before serving.

beverage, Drinks

American

hot chocolate, hot cocoa

More Christmas Recipes You'll Love

Candy Cane Christmas Cake RollMeringue TreesHot Chocolate Monkey Bread With Marshmallows

Thank With Google

If you’ve been a reader for a while, then you’ve noticed something new here at the bottom of each blog post. I’ve gotten the awesome opportunity of being a part of an experiment pilot feature called Thank with Google. I’m excited to be one of Google’s paid early testers and get to tell you more about this new project from Google. What is Thank with Google? Thank with Google is a way for my fans/readers to support me and show their appreciation for certain posts through the purchase of a virtual sticker. It’s a fun and interactive way for my fans to connect with me and show me appreciation for my work. And I love the personal notes that can be included with the paid stickers as well. You can find the new Thank with Google feature floating at the bottom of the page here or on the sidebar (if you’re using a desktop). Please feel free to test it out and let me know what you think!

Avgolemono (Greek Chicken & Rice Soup)

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The weather in Houston in the winter time is just ridiculous. One day, it's 85 degrees and sunny and the next it's 40 degrees and raining. It not only wreaks havoc on selecting an outfit for the day, but it also tends to get every one in our household sick. This season is no different. We've all been passing around a cough/cold thing, and I'm ready for it to just pack its things and leave already!It's on days like today (it dropped 35 degrees from this morning to this evening) that a stick-to-your-ribs kind of dinner is oh so needed. I found a recipe for chicken soup that used rotisserie chicken, but after adding a little something extra to it, I think it's just perfect. Well, that and everyone devoured it at dinner tonight.This traditional Greek food is avgolemono, a chicken and rice soup with an egg yolk and lemon base that is generally served as the first meal on Christmas day in Greece.So, while I don't think we'll be having it for breakfast on Christmas Day, we will be making this one over and over again.Here's how you can make this chicken and rice soup too:

Avgolemono (Greek Chicken & Rice Soup)

This traditional Greek food is avgolemono, a chicken and rice soup with an egg yolk and lemon base that is generally served as the first meal on Christmas day in Greece.

• 4 cups homemade chicken stock or low-sodium broth
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 cups cooked white rice (warmed)
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 rotisserie chicken (meat pulled from the bones and coarsely shredded (1 pound))
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill

1. In a large saucepan, season the stock with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer.

   

2. Transfer 1 cup of the hot stock to a blender. Add 1/2 cup of the rice, the egg yolks and the lemon juice and puree until smooth.

3. Stir the puree into the simmering stock along with the chicken and the remaining 1 1/2 cups of rice and simmer until thickened slightly, 10 minutes.

4. Stir in the dill and serve.

   

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Candy Cane Christmas Cake Roll

Whether you're attending a Christmas party at someone's house or hosting a holiday get together in your own home, this Christmas cake roll is sure to be a big hit! Here's why I like it:

1. This recipe uses a box cake mix, so that means it automatically starts off easy
2. Talk about cheap to make! You literally use leftover candy canes and budget-friendly ingredients to make this dessert and the finished product costs less than $5 total.
3. It's a super festive dessert that looks great and looks like you worked really hard, but it's simple as long as you work quickly and effectively.

So get out those cake mix boxes and let's start baking!

Candy Cane Christmas Cake Roll

Spongy cake is wrapped up with sweet icing and topped with leftover candy cane pieces. It's the perfect dessert to enjoy this holiday season!

• 6 eggs
• 1 red velvet boxed cake mix
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 2 containers whipped frosting ((16 oz containers))
• 1/2 cup candy canes (finely chopped)

1. Heat oven to 375°. Line the bottom of a jelly roll pan (size 15x10x1) with parchment paper. Spray the paper and sides of the pan with baking cooking spray (the kind with flour in it).

2. In a large bowl, beat the eggs for 6 minutes or until frothy. Add in the cake mix, water, and oil. (I used a butter cake mix, so I also added a red gel food coloring to make it appear red, but if you use a red velvet cake mix, you can skip this step). Mix the ingredients until well blended.

3. Pour 3 1/2 cups of batter into the pan and use a spatula to spread the batter to the sides of the pan. Set aside the remaining batter.

4. Bake for about 14 minutes (or until a toothpick will come out clean in the middle). Take a large (clean) kitchen towel and sprinkle the powdered sugar all over it. Once the cake is done, immediately turn the cake out onto the powdered sugar covered towel and peel off the parchment paper. Starting at the narrow end, roll the towel and cake into itself, creating a spiral. Cool the rolled-up cake on the counter for 10 minutes at room temperature and then place in the refrigerator for one hour to cool.

5. For the remainder of the batter, line a muffin tin with 6 baking cups and divide the batter between the cups. Bake at 375° for 15-18 minutes.

6. Unroll the cake carefully and remove the towel. Allow the end to remain slightly curled. Spread one full container and one half of another container of frosting over the surface of the cake. Re-roll the cake, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate 30 minutes.

7. Remove the cake from the refrigerator. Spread half of the second container of icing across the top of the roll. Cover the icing with candy cane pieces. Slice and enjoy!

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