# ISO Uses for peppermint sticks



## Alix (Apr 9, 2011)

Alright, I admit it. I found some candy canes in my cupboard that need using up. Help! I need ideas. So far, I've thought of smashing them and using them either in a chocolate bark or in brownies. Neither one is really doing it for me. 

Anyone out there feeling creative?


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## PrincessFiona60 (Apr 10, 2011)

Alix said:


> Alright, I admit it. I found some candy canes in my cupboard that need using up. Help! I need ideas. So far, I've thought of smashing them and using them either in a chocolate bark or in brownies. Neither one is really doing it for me.
> 
> Anyone out there feeling creative?


 
I use them to stir tea.


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## buckytom (Apr 10, 2011)

break them up and spread them on your lawn if a neighborhood dog decides your front lawn is his toilet. 

the strong mint smell helps to deter them from wanting to add their own stench. 

the first time i heard of something like this, i was told to use cayenne pepper. it worked for a while until the chihuahua's showed up. they just had a party...


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## Aunt Bea (Apr 10, 2011)

Crush them and use to top ice cream.


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## blissful (Apr 10, 2011)

Peppermint stick white chocolate bark.
I made some last week.
Crush the peppermint sticks, melt the white chocolate, mix, and put onto a buttered piece of foil in a pan. Spread it thin.
Score it once it begins to harden.

If you use a microwave to warm the white chocolate, and mix the peppermint stick chunks into it, the microwave will melt the peppermint sticks too, leaving you with a swirled pink white chocolate bark.

I recommend the first method.


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## Constance (Apr 10, 2011)

blissful said:


> Peppermint stick white chocolate bark.
> I made some last week.
> Crush the peppermint sticks, melt the white chocolate, mix, and put onto a buttered piece of foil in a pan. Spread it thin.
> Score it once it begins to harden.
> ...



I love that stuff!


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## Katie H (Apr 10, 2011)

Aunt Bea said:


> Crush them and use to top ice cream.



Why not simply make nice big batch of peppermint stick ice cream?  Omigosh, that sounds sooooo good right now.


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## Alix (Apr 10, 2011)

Katie, ICE CREAM! Of course! Thanks!

blissful, mmmmm chocolate bark is one of my faves. I didn't know about the microwave method, thanks!

Aunt Bea, I'll top the ice cream I make with them, thank you for the thought.

PF, regular tea? or herbal stuff?  

buckytom, really? Think it would work in my garden for neighborhood kitties? I know they like mint so it might have the opposite effect. And LOL to the chihuahuas!


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## PrincessFiona60 (Apr 10, 2011)

Alix said:


> Katie, ICE CREAM! Of course! Thanks!
> 
> blissful, mmmmm chocolate bark is one of my faves. I didn't know about the microwave method, thanks!
> 
> ...


 
I like it in black tea and especially like it stirred into Chamomile, kind of redundant in mint tea...  I know, no one likes a smart aleck!


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## merstar (Apr 10, 2011)

Dip them in dark or milk chocolate.
Use them to stir hot chocolate.

Make these:
Candy Cane Chocolate Covered Pretzels
http://savorysweetlife.com/2009/12/candy-cane-chocolate-covered-pretzels-recipe/

Or this:
Molten Chocolate Cake with Crushed Candy Canes
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/...ke-with-crushed-candy-canes-recipe/index.html


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## Kathleen (Apr 10, 2011)

If the peppermint sticks are porous, make Lemon Sticks!  Just slice the top off of a cold lemon and insert the peppermint stick.  Then...suck the lemon juice up through the stick.  It's totally awesome.  You see them at fairs and during Pimlico around here.


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## buckytom (Apr 11, 2011)

lol, i can picture a bunch of people with puckered faces saying "pwim-wi-co"...


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## Barbara L (Apr 11, 2011)

I love to stir my hot chocolate with them!


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## Alix (Apr 11, 2011)

Kathleen, they're solid. Cool idea though. 

Merstar, THANKS! That sounds like something I'm going to try.

Barbara, I like to stir hot chocolate with them too. mmmm.

I'm sort of looking for ways to use them that disguises them a bit. I mean really, its APRIL. Using candy canes for anything right now is going to raise eyebrows. I think they pretty much have to be crushed or otherwise completely disguised.


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## DaveSoMD (Apr 11, 2011)

I have made a peppermint cake using a white cake mix, the crushed candy canes, You can add some peppermint extract to the batter if you want.


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## Alix (Apr 11, 2011)

Ooooo! Dave I love that idea! I think I'll give it a go. What did you do for a topping? Anything? Do you think a cream cheese icing with crushed candy canes would work?


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## blissful (Apr 11, 2011)

Alix said:


> Ooooo! Dave I love that idea! I think I'll give it a go. What did you do for a topping? Anything? Do you think a cream cheese icing with crushed candy canes would work?


 
Dave, great idea!
Yes, do the cream cheese icing w/crushed candy canes. I'll be over for some later.


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## Alix (Apr 11, 2011)

Come on over! I'll put on some White Christmas tea and some carols too!


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## blissful (Apr 11, 2011)

Alix said:


> Come on over! I'll put on some White Christmas tea and some carols too!


 
 Thank you! I'll bring the presents and dress as santa's helper.

Have you ever had the creme de menthe brownies? They have the brownies layer, the green frosting layer and the chocolate layer on top.
Fudgy brownies topped with creme de menthe frosting (fairly thick), then topped with melted chocolate chips/butter, so it's like a candy coating when cooled?

What about the same thing, but, for the creme de mint frosting--substitute a peppermint frosting with crushed peppermint sticks in it?


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## Alix (Apr 11, 2011)

Do you have the recipe for those? They sound incredible. Peppermint cake in the oven now!


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## JGDean (Apr 11, 2011)

Peppermint vodka. Steep for a few weeks in vodka, strain and decant into smaller bottles, decorate bottles and give as gifts (or drink yourself).


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## blissful (Apr 11, 2011)

JGDean, great idea.
I have 75 more peppermint sticks to use here, picked them up at 75% off after Christmas, silly me.

This is from an old recipe card I wrote in '87.

Brownies with Mint and Chocolate

In a jelly roll pan bake at 350 degrees F for 25-50 minutes, then cool.
Brownie layer:
1 C sugar
1/2 C butter
 4 eggs
1 cup flour
1/2 t. salt
16 oz Hersheys Syrup
1 t. vanilla 
1/2 C chopped nuts

Mint Layer:
(my notes say to double it, so I'm giving you the double recipe)
4 C powdered sugar
6 T. creme de menthe
1 C butter
Mix and spread on cooled brownie layer and refrigerate (in the winter, we set it in the garage or on the deck).

Chocolate Layer:
(my notes say to double it, so I'm giving you the double recipe)
Melt 2 cups of chocolate chips and 12 T. butter.
Pour and spread over the Mint Layer, and refrigerate.

You can make the mint layer and chocolate layer thinner, but we love it this way.


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## DaveSoMD (Apr 11, 2011)

Alix said:


> Ooooo! Dave I love that idea! I think I'll give it a go. What did you do for a topping? Anything? Do you think a cream cheese icing with crushed candy canes would work?



I just used a plain vanilla frosting but I think cream cheese is inspired. YUM


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## blissful (Apr 12, 2011)

And............how was the cake? Any pictures by chance, I have a hankering for it.


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## Alix (Apr 12, 2011)

blissful said:


> And............how was the cake? Any pictures by chance, I have a hankering for it.



http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f41/peppermint-candy-cake-71531.html

I posted a pic on the link above. There wasn't much left but I managed to get a small pic anyway.


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