Written by Christie Crawford
Clarksville, TN – This striped and curved treat always brings you back to childhood times when you envisioned them in a holiday stocking over the fireplace or being handed out by Santa as you sat in his lap. But peppermint isn’t just for stockings or Santa, it should be a key flavor in your holiday baking and celebrations.
First identified in 1704 by an English botanist, what we know as peppermint is a hybrid of water mint and spearmint, a source of menthol, and among the 25 species of mint; the oldest known variety utilized for culinary and medicinal purposes.The oil and leaves have been used for intestinal ailments, as a topical pain and itch reliever, and a fragrance. Originating from Europe and the Middle East, the plant is hardy and can be grown anywhere.
The peppermint candy cane tradition hailed from Cologne, Germany in 1670 where the choirmaster handed out sugar sticks to children and added the crook design at the end to signify St. Nicolas’ crozier, as well as reference The Good Shepherd as Jesus.
As all good ideas, the candy cane made its way over the Atlantic where it made its debut at an American manufacturing exhibition in 1837. There it was striped and straight in design. It was marketed not only as a holiday treat but to be placed on the tree to deter rodents and small pets from damaging the holiday decoration. Mostly made by hand, the candy cane design became patented by a Chicago confection company called Bunte Brothers who created a machine making a cane similarly as a rod used in glassmaking.
One of the best marketers of the candy cane hailed from Albany, GA with Bob’s Candies. In 1919 Bob’s Candies became the leading producer of candy canes in the world. The family-owned company has since gone through a series of buy-outs and mergers and is now the behemoth Ferrara Candy Company from the Little Italy area of Chicago, operating in six countries with over a hundred brands, including Jelly Belly, Red Hots and SweeTarts.
Here are three classic ways to provide a little peppermint twist at your holiday table:
Almost-Famous Peppermint Bark (from foodnetwork.com)
(A close copy to the famous version from the Williams-Sonoma cookware store).
Ingredients:
2 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
1 1/2 teaspoons peppermint extract
1 pound white chocolate, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
3 candy canes or 12 round hard peppermint candies, crushed
Directions:
Line a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with aluminum foil, shiny-side up; smooth out any wrinkles.
Heat 1 inch of water in a saucepan over low heat until steaming. Put all but 3/4 cup of the semisweet chocolate in a heatproof bowl. (If you have a double boiler, use it now) Set the bowl over the saucepan of steaming water (do not let the bowl touch the water) and stir until one-third of the chocolate is melted.
Remove the bowl from the saucepan; keep the steaming water over low heat. Gradually stir the reserved 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate into the bowl, a few pieces at a time, until all of the chocolate is melted. Return the bowl to the saucepan, 5 to 10 seconds at a time, to help melt the chocolate, if needed. Keep in mind that it may take up to 10 minutes to melt the chocolate.
Meanwhile, put all but 1 cup of the white chocolate in a large heatproof bowl and repeat the melting process over the steaming water; dry off the bottom of the bowl. Stir in the remaining 3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract; pour over the semisweet chocolate and spread in an even layer.
Sprinkle immediately with the crushed candy canes, gently pressing them into the white chocolate. Set aside at room temperature until firm, about 1 hour. Lift the bark out of the pan using the foil and break it into pieces. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
Peppermint White Russian (from juliebanner.com)
A classic cocktail made famous in the film The Big Lebowski, with a holiday feel.
Ingredients:
(per drink)
1 ounce vodka
1 ounce coffee liqueur
3/4 ounce peppermint schnapps
1 ounce half and half or heavy cream
Candy cane for garnish or
(Rim option) simple syrup and crushed candy canes
Directions:
Stir or shake vodka, liquor and schnapps then pour into a short glass; fill with ice. Pour half and half or cream on top. Serve with candy cane or use a rim tipped in simple syrup followed by crushed candy canes.
Peppermint Pretzel Dippers (from tasteofhome.com)
Yields 4 dozen
Ingredients:
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 tbl shortening
1 10 oz package pretzel rods
40 red and or green peppermint candies, crushed
Directions:
In a microwave, melt chocolate chips and shortening; stir until smooth. Break each pretzel rod in half. Dip the broken end about halfway into the melted chocolate, allow the excess chocolate to drip off. Roll in crushed peppermints. Place on a wax-lined baking sheet and chill until set.
