epicureantease

You know the holiday season is upon us when Starbucks busts out the holiday drinks, including one of my favorites, the Peppermint Latte! Although, any true Starbucks regular knows you can get a Peppermint Latte year round, you just gotta ask for it! 😉  Candy Canes, Hershey’s Candy Cane Kisses and Ghirardelli Peppermint Bark Squares have made their limited time, annual appearance on the shelves as well!

What better time to get into the “peppermint spirit” or jump on the “peppermint bandwagon” and whip up some Peppermint Fudge, aka Candy Cane Fudge!  I will warn you, I have received varying reviews on this recipe.  My mom said, “It’s good. But I wouldn’t make it again.” Gotta love a mother’s honesty! LOL!!  I’ve also had a few say they really enjoyed it!  So here’s the scoop: it’s EXTREMELY easy to make! The candy canes are a pain in the ass to break up.  My first attempt was with a hammer. Second being the food processor (BTW.. Dear Santa: I could use a new blade for my food processor! Thank you! :)) It’s very “peppermint-y”, so if you’re not a huge fan of peppermint but are interested in giving this fudge a whirl, try using a basic vanilla fudge recipe and add candy cane. Don’t leave it in the fridge overnight and attempt to cut into it immediately the next morning unless you have a high-quality, sharp knife. I had knife imprints on my palms for HOURS! And yes mom, I did put a towel on top of the knife to “cushion” my hand. It didn’t work so well.

Now that you’ve been fully informed… bake on!

Candy Cane Fudge!

Candy Cane Fudge

2 (10 ounce) packages vanilla baking chips
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
1 1/2 cups crushed candy canes
1 dash red or green food coloring

Line an 8 inch square baking pan with aluminum foil, and grease the foil.

Combine the vanilla chips and sweetened condensed milk in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir frequently until almost melted, remove from heat and continue to stir until smooth.

There is something so pure about white chocolate chips.

White chocolate chips and condensed milk. Notice the Christmas spatula! 😉

When chips are completely melted, stir in the peppermint extract, food coloring, and candy canes.

CANDY CANES!!!

I tried to break up the candy canes with a hammer after placing them between folded parchment paper and a towel. It didn't work so well.

So.... the candy canes went into the food processor! Bye bye blade....

Add candy cane to melted white chocolate and condensed milk mixture.

Stir in peppermint extract and ONE drop of red food coloring! A small amount goes a loooooooong way!!!

Spread evenly in the bottom of the prepared pan. Chill for 2 hours, then cut into squares.

Pour into prepared 8x8 baking dish and refrigerate. But don't over-chill or you'll be sorry. I learned the hard way! Literally!

I chilled the fudge over night. It was a bear to cut into...

All wrapped up and ready to share! 🙂