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Tuesday, December 9, 2008

What to do with all those candy canes?!


Are you like me - do you dread the thought of the candy canes that seem to multiply and take over your house? Do your teeth ache at the thought of eating one from start to finish? (maybe that's just the orthodontist's granddaughter in me?) Here are some tasty and less cavity prone ways to utilize your ever growing stash...

Crush them for stress relief, and then:
  • Put the crushed canes in cake batter to add a subtle flavor to your cake without much crunch (crunch factor depends on size of crushed bits)
  • Mix into softened ice cream along with a few drops of complimentary flavoring, or make your own ice cream and add the flavor and crushed cane
  • Make chocolate candy bark and add the crushed pieces to the top for added crunch and flavor
  • Sprinkle into cookie batter like you would chocolate chips or M&Ms
Add brown pipe cleaner antlers and little eyes to make reindeer canes

Use them to adorn packages or fill in cookie trays - somewhat sneaky but definitely cute!

What do you do with all your candy canes? Are there other traditional treats that seem to multiply on you? I'd love to hear your creative solutions!

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11 comments:

Mel said...

i am not a peppermint fan, yes I know i am strange!! So we get as few of them as we can...but I love your ideas, my kids love peppermint.

Mommy2Twinkies-Deb said...

some great ideas there, steph! I made candy cane cookies yesterday!

Lisa @ Crazy Adventures in Parenting said...

Good ideas! I suppose you could melt them down into mini muffin pans and make new candies? I think??

Anonymous said...

I make candy cane hearts! take two small candy canes and place them on wax paper into a heart shape. Melt white chocolate bark according to package and spoon into center of hearts. Sprinkle with crushed candy canes. I make these for Christmas but sometimes don't get them done and they end up being for Valentine's Day. They are a big hit at the teachers' lunch room at my kids school.

Steph at Problem Solvin' Mom said...

Sharna, I love that idea!!

Thanks for sharing, we'll have to try that this year. ;)

Lisa, you're probaby right, though I've never tried it.

Secret Mom Thoughts said...

Great ideas to getting rid of the candy canes. I found you through the stumble-a-thon.

MommaCeleste said...

I've been craving candy canes and keep forgetting to mention to the hubby to buy me some! (i'm on bedrest). Wish I had some to do all those yummy things with! :)

Martha said...

I hang them on the Christmas tree and worry about what to do with them after the holidays - if there are any left - there never is :-)

CC said...

I'd put them in cookies if we had any. But we never have extra candy canes!

Mommy's Wish List said...

I add them to the top of my fudge before it cools. But, it's hard to have extra candy canes when Hurricane Luka keeps stealing them off the tree and eating them.

Carin Diaz said...

After reading this, I will make vanilla candy bark with crush candy cane. YUM