Recipes Using Crushed Peppermint Candy

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and coat two 9-inch-round cake pans with cooking spray; line with parchment paper. Prepare the cake mix as directed; transfer the batter to the pans. Bake and cool as directed.
• Combine half of the frosting with the crushed candy. Place 1 cake on a small cardboard circle, domed-side down; spread with the candy frosting. Place the other cake on top, domed-side up.
• Round the bottom and top edges of the layer cake with a small serrated knife as shown. Cover the whole cake with a thin layer of the remaining plain frosting.
• Microwave the marshmallows with 1/4 cup water in a large bowl until melted. Add the peppermint extract; gradually beat in all but 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar with a mixer until thick and stiff. Beat in the butter.
• Remove half of the frosting mixture; knead in a little more confectioners' sugar until smooth. Roll out into a 13-inch circle on a piece of parchment dusted with confectioners' sugar.
• Carefully invert the rolled-out frosting onto the cake; peel off the parchment, brushing off the excess sugar. Tuck around the bottom edge of the cake, pressing gently to adhere; trim the excess.
• Beat enough gel food coloring into the remaining frosting mixture until bright red. Knead in the remaining confectioners' sugar until smooth.
• Roll out the red frosting until 1/4 inch thick. Cut a 7-by-1 3/4-inch wavy stripe with a pointed tip out of paper (for a template, go to foodnetwork.com/caketemplate). Using the template, cut out 7 red stripes of frosting.
• Carefully arrange the red stripes around the cake with the tips meeting at the center; press gently to adhere and tuck around the bottom of the cake, then trim any excess. Wrap the cake in cellophane.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Beat the butter and white sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth. Beat egg into butter mixture until completely incorporated. Mix flour and salt into the butter mixture until just incorporated. Fold crushed candy canes into the batter, mixing just enough to evenly combine. Roll dough into balls 1 tablespoon at a time; arrange on baking sheets.
• Bake in the preheated oven until firm, 8 to 10 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 1 minute before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Whisk confectioners' sugar and warm water together in a small bowl until you have a smooth icing. Dip top of each cookie in the icing, Top with additional crushed candy cane, if desired. Set aside to let the icing dry, at least 5 minutes.

Steps:

• Melt white chocolate either in a double boiler or in a bowl over a pot of boiling water.
• Stir in crushed candy cane and peppermint flavoring into melted white chocolate.
• Line a 11x17" baking pan with wax paper.
• Pour and spread chocolate mixture onto wax paper.
• Chill until firm and break into pieces.
• Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Steps:

• Before you start, read the tips at the bottom of the recipe.
• Tip the flour and butter into a bowl. Use your fingers to squash the lumps of butter into the flour, then rub together until the mixture resembles wet sand. Add the sugar and egg yolk and 1-2 tbsp cold water. Mix together with a blunt cutlery knife, then your hands, until it becomes a soft dough. (Or, get an adult to help you to do this in a food processor.) Wrap the dough in cling film and pop in the fridge for 20 mins to chill.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Line 2 baking trays with baking parchment. Put the candy canes in a resealable plastic bag, then wrap in a tea towel. Use a rolling pin to bash them to a chunky rubble. Set to one side.
• Dust your work surface with a little flour, then use a rolling pin to roll out the dough. Cut out heart shapes with your big cookie cutter. Put them on the baking trays, spaced a little apart. Use your small cutter to cut out a little heart in the centre of each big heart. Re-roll your cuttings to make about 20 hearts in total.
• Bake for 8 mins. Carefully remove the trays from the oven, then fill each small heart with a little of the crushed candy cane. Return to the oven for 4 mins more, until the biscuits are just starting to turn golden and the candy cane has melted.
• Once out of the oven, quickly sprinkle the gooey centre of each heart with a little extra crushed candy cane. Leave to set and cool completely on the trays. Once cool, the biscuits will peel straight off the trays. Wrap them in pretty boxes to give as a gift.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• In a large bowl, cream together the butter, shortening, and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Stir in the vanilla. Combine the flour and salt; stir into the creamed mixture. Mix in the oats and crushed candies. Drop batter by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Combine the white and red sugars. Flatten cookies to 1/4 inch thickness using the bottom of a glass dipped in the sugar mixture.
• Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the bottoms are lightly brown. Allow cookies to cool for at least 2 minutes on the baking sheets before removing to wire racks to cool completely.