So, Christmas is over and it is now a new year. Now, what do you do with all those left over Candy Canes. I found a list of 33 uses for those left over candy canes over at Candyblog, including a link to a recipe for Candy Cane Cheesecake, Candy Cane Brownies, Chocolate Mint Layer Cake and more!! These all look like great ideas, and I think I might even try making the Rice Krispies Treat.

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Now, what to do with all those Candy Canes you received or have left over from Christmas. I found a recipe for Candy Cane Frozen Mousse at recipezarr.com . For this recipe you will need: 1 - 225g package cream cheese; 300 ml sweetened condensed milk; 1 cup crushed candy canes (peppermint, cinnamon or wintergreen) and 2 cups whipped cream. I had this at a Christmas party this year, and it is very good. I think it would make a great dessert for your New Year's Day meal. Happy New Year from us at candycanefacts.com!!!

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Christmas is only 5 days away and I am always looking for new things to make for our Christmas Eve meal. I found this Candy Cane Cake recipe at favoritebrandrecipes.com, that looks delicious. It is made using a Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Cake Mix (any flavor). Happy Baking!!

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Here is a recipe for Candy Cane Cookies from FamilyFun.com. Turn this simple dough into edible ornaments for the tree using peppermint extract and red food coloring. For these cookies you will need: butter, sugar, egg, peppermint extract, vanilla extract, flour and red food coloring. Happy Baking!!

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4 3-oz. chocolate bars, 2 semisweet, 1 milk & 1 white chocolate
1/2 c Crushed candy canes

Melt the 3 kinds of chocolate in 3 separate bowls. Stir half of the crushed candy canes into the semisweet chocolate. Reserve a bit for sprinkling; stir the remainder into the milk and white chocolates. Drop teaspoons of the semisweet onto a parchment-lined tray.

Top with 1 dollop each of the milk and white chocolates. Sprinkle with crushed candy canes. Let harden.

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1 pkg. long pretzel rods
1 pkg. almond bark, or vanilla candy coating
Decorations, such as red and green sprinkles, holiday M&Ms or crushed up candy canes.

Place the candy coating in a microwave-safe bowl. Make sure you do not get any water in the bowl. Any water at all will cause the candy coating not to melt properly and separate.

Microwave the candy coating for 1 min., then stir and microwave an additional min., until it is completely melted and smooth.

Stick a pretzel rod into the chocolate, and with a spoon, cover about 3/4 of the pretzel with chocolate. Let the excess drip back into the bowl.

Sprinkle the chocolate with either red and green colored sprinkles, crushed up peppermints, or stick red and green M&Ms to the chocolate.

Place the decorated pretzel on a piece of waxed paper or aluminum foil, and let it dry completely, about 1 hour. Gently pull the pretzels off the paper.

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By Griffin Wetzstein

The peppermint cookie recipe has a rich flavor and a great looking pink glaze. A great way to use up all those leftover candy canes!

Ingredients

Cookie:

1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 sticks (1 cup) salted butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornstarch

Glaze:

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons salted butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
1-2 tablespoons milk
2-3 drops red food coloring
peppermint candy canes, crushed

Hardware

Large bowl
Medium bowl
Cookie sheets
Plastic wrap
Mixer

Step 1: In a large bowl, combine powdered sugar, butter, and peppermint extract. With an electric mixer, beat at medium speed until creamy.
Step 2: Reduce speed to low and gradually add flour and cornstarch, beat until well mixed.
Step 3: Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm (30-60 minutes).
Step 4: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 5: Shape dough into teaspoon size balls. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
Step 6: Bake 12-15 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Let stand 1 minute; transfer cookies to cooling surface.

Glaze:

Step 1: In a medium bowl, combine powdered sugar, butter, peppermint extract, and enough milk for desired glazing consistency.
Step 2: Stir in a few drops of red food coloring. Drizzle over cookies.
Step 3: While glaze is sticky sprinkle with crushed candy cane pieces.

Makes 30 cookies.

For more information on baking procedures and hardware used in this recipe see our Baking Tips section.

Important: Feel free to republish this article on your website. However, you are not allowed to modify any part of its content and all links should be kept active.

For more great Christmas cookie recipes visit http://kicked-up-cookie-recipes.com/christmas-cookie-recipes.html

For some great tasting biscotti recipes visit http://kicked-up-cookie-recipes.com/biscotti-recipes.html

For cookie baking tips and a wide selection of recipes visit http://kicked-up-cookie-recipes.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Griffin_Wetzstein

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By Suzanne Lieurance

If you love to make delicious treats for the holidays, then try this easy Angel Peppermint Bark. The secret to this candy is the white chocolate. Many similar recipes call for almond bark instead, but it produces candy that is somewhat waxy because of the paraffin content of the almond bark. Make this Angel Peppermint Bark with white chocolate and it will turn out smooth, rich, and creamy – and not waxy at all.

ANGEL PEPPERMINT BARK

1 lb. white chocolate, chopped into small pieces

6 candy canes

Peppermint oil (optional)

Small to medium angel-shaped cookie cutter (or other holiday-shaped cutter)

1. Line a small cookie sheet with wax paper and set aside.

2. In the top of a double boiler, melt white chocolate, stirring constantly.

3. Unwrap candy canes and put them in a large self-sealing plastic storage bag. With a meat mallet, pound candy canes into small pieces.

4. Stir the pieces of candy cane into the melted chocolate. Remove from heat, and pour the mixture onto the prepared cookie sheet; spread evenly. Chill until slightly firm, then use an angel-shaped cookie cutter and carefully cut the chocolate mixture into angel shapes. Chill the angels until completely set – 25 to 30 minutes.

VARIATION: If you don’t want to make the candy in angel shapes or other holiday shapes, you can simply chill the mixture on the cookie sheet until firm, then break into pieces, and serve. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

NOTE: Instead of a double boiler, the white chocolate can be melted in a microwave. Put the white chocolate in a microwave safe bowl in the microwave for 2 minutes (at medium power). Take the chocolate out and stir. Put back in the microwave for 2 more minutes, then stir. Keep doing this until all the white chocolate has melted.

For a stronger peppermint flavor, stir in 1/4 tsp. of peppermint oil into the melted white chocolate and candy cane mixture before pouring the mixture onto the cookie sheet.

Suzanne Lieurance is a freelance writer and owner of the Three Angels Gourmet Co. which produces a unique line of "heavenly gourmet mixes" for sale at: http://www.threeangelsgourmet.com For additional food information and daily tips, visit the Three Angels Gourmet Co. blog at http://www.threeangelsgourmet.blogspot.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Suzanne_Lieurance

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By Susan Dunn

Please make the children's table festive!

I watched a little muchkin’s face fall last holiday when she realized she was relegated to the “children’s table.” I make it the focal point of my own decorating, and suggest you do the same.

Here are some festive drink recipes for the little elves in your life. Choose festive ware and garnish. Any drink with whipped cream, you can put sprinkles atop, candied fruit, cinnamon candies, Christmas “picks,” drizzle with (non-alcoholic) crème de menthe for color, shaved colored chocolate, a Candy. kiss. Tie a red bow with an evergreen sprig on the punch ladle; surround the base with greens and sugared cranberries or toy ornaments.

If it’s hot, stick in a cinnamon stick or candy cane; dollop with whipped cream and garnish with sprinkles, cinnamon candies, confectioner’s sugar; add a holiday "pick"; stick a sparkler in each mug and light at presentation time.

If it’s cold, use decorated ice cubes – freeze cranberries, tiny ornaments, mint leaves, anything festive and NON-POISONOUS into the cubes and add at presentation time. (Remember that holly berries and all parts of the mistletoe are poisonous); or freeze the same things in an ice mold. You can have great fun with floating ice rings for punch for the kids - put in ornaments, cherries, greenery, anything you can make hygienic-enough and that isn't poisonous or a possible choking hazard for small children!

Whatever you serve, serve it with festive flare, and give it a holiday name!

NANA'S NOG
3 cups milk
1 cup half 'n' half
3 T. sugar

Put in blender with ice and frappe. Consider food coloring and candy sprinkles. Serves 4.

CHRISTMAS MINT PUNCH
1 1/2 c water
10 oz mint jelly
3 c pineapple juice, chilled
1/2 c lemon juice
64 oz Sprite
1 qt lime sherbet

In small saucepan, combine water and mint jelly; cook and stir until jelly melts. Cool. In large punch bowl, combine jelly mix and juices. Just before serving, add Sprite and lime sherbet.

TRIM-THE-TREE CIDER PUNCH
1 gallon apple cider
12 whole cloves
2 large apples (Granny Smith, Rome Beauty), peeled, left whole
2 cinnamon sticks
Ground nutmeg

Pour apple cider into large pot. Insert 6 cloves into each apple. Add apples and cinnamon sticks to pot. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; cover and barely simmer over very low heat 1 hour to allow flavors to blend. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over low heat before continuing.) Ladle hot cider punch into mugs. Sprinkle with nutmeg and serve.
Source, Bon Appétit, December 1995

SNOW MAN PUNCH
Stir up a pint of ice cream - vanilla, peppermint, mint, adding a little milk to thin it. Scoop it into snowcone cups or other festive ware. Disposable plastic Christmas ware is great for little elves! Variation: Add green creme de menthe flavoring, non-alcoholic.

SPICY CRANBERRY PUNCH
1/2 cup red cinnamon candies
4 C. water
8 C. cranberry juice cocktail, chilled
6 oz. can frozen limeade concentrate
6 oz. can frozen orange juice concentrate

In small pan, melt candies in water; chill. At serving time, combine candy liquid and fruit juices in punch bowl. Stir to dissolve. Makes 18, 5-oz. cups.

WASSAIL BOWL
Whole cloves
1 large orange
2 qts. apple juice or cider
3 T. lemon juice
4 cinnamon sticks

Heat oven to 350. Insert cloves into orange. Place in shallow baking pan and bake at 350 for 30 mins. Pierce orange in several places with tines for a fork.

In large saucepan, combine apple and lemon juice, cinnamon sticks and baked orange. Cover; simmer over low heat 30 mins. Remove sticks and orange. Pour into heatproof punch bowl. If desired, float the orange in the bowl. Serve [safely] hot. Makes 16, 4 oz. servings.

CHILDREN'S CRANBERRY "CHAMPAGNE"

Combine 2 well-chilled 750-ml. bottles non-alcoholic sparkling cider with 1 cup cranberry juice cocktail or to taste.

ELF WARMER
1 qt. vanilla ice cream
3 sticks margarine
1 box brown sugar
nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice

Combine and keep in freezer. At serving time, put 1 heaping T. scoop into a mug, add hot water (to taste) and heat.

SANTA RED PUNCH
4 cups water
3 cups sugar
2 small packages of red Jello
l large can pineapple juice
1 bottle of almond extract
Serves 25-30.

EVERGREEN PUNCH
2 pkgs. unsweetened lemon-lime Koolaid
2 cups sugar
2 qts. water
1, 46-oz. can pineapple juice
1 quart gingerale

Dissolve sugar and koolaid. Add pineapple juice and chill. Add gingerale at serving time. Good too if you freeze it for a while until it's slushy. Then call it Santa Slush. Serves 36.

About the Author: ©Susan Dunn, MA, The EQ Coach, http://www.susandunn.cc, mailto:sdunn@susandunn.cc . Coaching, Internet courses, and ebooks around emotional intelligence for your health, wealth & happiness. EQ Alive! #1 rated coach certification program, training worldwide. Simple, affordable, no residency requirement. Email for info and for FR** EQ ezine.

Source: www.isnare.com

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By Donna Monday

It’s that time of year again when we all get together and share good conversation, merriment, and great food. Here’s a quick and easy recipe for an eggnog milkshake.

This recipe is delicious and an alternative to traditional eggnog. To cut down on the calories you can use skim milk or low fat milk and low fat ice cream.

Make it more festive by using decorative glasses or mugs and adding a candy cane or cinnamon stick for an extra special treat. Eggnog milkshake only takes a few minutes to make but everyone will think you made a special effort.

Just think how nice it will be to sit down in your cozy living room while the Christmas music is playing and the Christmas tree lights are twinkling and savor the cool, creamy flavor of an eggnog milkshake.

May your holiday be truly filled with warmth and joy.

Eggnog Milkshake

1 tablespoon sugar
Dash salt
1 cup milk
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 scoop vanilla ice cream
Nutmeg

Directions

In blender combine first 5 ingredients. Mix until frothy.
Top each serving with a scoop of ice cream. Sprinkle with nutmeg.

About the Author: Copyright 2004 Donna Monday Easy to make – fun to drink http://www.1st-milkshake-n-smoothie-recipes.com

Source: www.isnare.com

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