Christmas may be past. But our festive spirits are at an all-time high. So, in keeping with the spirit of the holiday season, we’ll be treating ourselves to a pack of candy canes!
Barley sugar, often known as candy canes, are delicious treats made with soft corn syrup and barley sugar. Because they come in a variety of hues, children find them more appealing and engaging than other festive desserts and sweets. So far so good, but what the heck is barley sugar after all? Since its creation 350 years ago, barley sugar has been associated with Christmas and the holiday season. It was originally used as a Christmas tree decoration. It had a straight stick form, and was sweetened with sugar.
The story goes that in 1670, a choirmaster at Germany's Cologne Cathedral bent the sugar sticks into canes that looked like shepherd's hooks. Children who attended the rituals received the all-white candy canes. This custom gained popularity and was later observed throughout church celebrations in both Europe and America. German-Swedish immigrant Wooster used candy cane as a Christmas decoration for the first time in 1847. That is how the festival came to be connected with it. Eventually, the candy canes took on vibrant stripes toward the close of the 1800s.
Enjoy the holidays and try these recipes for sweet candy canes.
Candy Cane Popcorn Balls
Ingredients:
- 1 bag plain popcorn popped about 12 cups
- 1 Mondelez Toblerone White Chocolate Bar
- 1 bag of mini marshmallows
- 2 tablespoon butter
- ¼ cup crushed up candy canes
Directions:
- In the microwave, pop the popcorn, then remove any unpopped kernels and transfer to a big bowl.
- Cut Mondelez Toblerone White Chocolate Bar into little pieces and microwave on 50% power, stirring every now and again. Melt it properly but do not overdo it.
- Melt butter in a big bowl using the microwave. Add the marshmallows, put the mixture back in the microwave, and cook it until the marshmallows melt.
- Pour chocolate over popcorn and toss to cover every piece. Pour melted marshmallows over popcorn, ensure to swirl it completely to coat it.
- Crushed candy canes should be mixed into the popcorn.
- Press popcorn into balls using your palms coated in butter.
- Put the entire candy cane into the popcorn while the balls are still soft to make a stick.
Dark Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies
These Dark Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies are the ideal holiday treat because of chocolate and peppermint!
Ingredients:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup Mondelez Cadbury Cocoa Powder, sifted
- 1/4 cup Cadbury Bournville Cocoa Premium Dark, sifted
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1/2 cup of granulated sugar
- 1 cup of light-brown sugar, packed
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 tsp peppermint extract (Optional)
- Mondelez Toblerone White Chocolate Bar, melted
- Vegetable shortening as needed to thin candy melts
- Crushed candy canes
Directions:
- Mix the flour, baking soda, Mondelez Cadbury Cocoa Powder, Cadbury Bournville Cocoa Premium Dark and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Put it aside.
- Now, beat butter and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about two to three minutes. Slow down and mix in the egg and peppermint oil. Beat until thoroughly mixed. Mix in flour mixture just until incorporated.
- Let the dough rest fully well overnight.
- Next, set baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper on them and preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Subsequently, portion the dough onto baking sheet using a medium cookie scoop. Bake for about ten minutes, or until the center sets. After chilling, cookies will get somewhat crinkled and lose their air.
- After five minutes of cooling on the pans, move them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
- Place on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper, dip in melted candy melts or Mondelez Toblerone White Chocolate, and then top with crushed candy canes. Let it set.
Candy Cane Bread
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup butter, softened
- 2/3 cups packed brown sugar
- 4 large egg whites, room temperature
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 3/4 cup strong brewed coffee
- 1/2 cup vanilla yogurt
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup Mondelez Cadbury Cocoa Powder
- 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1-1/2 cups buttermilk
- 1 cup miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 2 ounces white baking chocolate, melted
- 3 tablespoons crushed candy canes
Directions:
- Turn the oven on to 350°F. Apply cooking spray to three 8x4-inch loaf pans. Beat butter and brown sugar together in a large bowl for approximately two minutes, or until crumbly. Blend together eggs, egg whites, coffee, yogurt, oil, and extracts.
- Mix flour, Mondelez Cadbury Cocoa Powder, baking soda, and salt in a separate dish. Add the mixture to the brown sugar mixture in batches, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Add chocolate chips and fold.
- Place in the ready pans. Bake for 50–55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow it to cool for ten minutes before transferring from pans to wire racks to finish cooling.
- Over the loaves, drizzle melted white baking chocolate. Add some crushed candy on top.