"candy cane" news and stories

When I heard that Noah's Bagels and Einstein Bros. Bagels, which are owned by the same parent company, are introducing Candy Cane Bagels for the holidays, it didn't sound like an appealing concept. Cream cheese and peppermints? Not the best combination, especially not where breakfast food is concerned. Fortunately, the bagels are not mint-flavored at all, but merely shaped like candy canes. They are made of red and white potato doughs that are twisted together and bent into a hooked candy cane. They have a very light coating of powdered sugar, added partially for looks and partially to give it a little something to stand out from the ordinary bagels where flavor is concerned.

The company says that the bagels "taste as good as they look," but I'm not entirely sure that most bagel fans will like their look -- or the sugary coating -- when given the choice between one of these and a regular bagel. They are very cute, however, and would probably be well received at an office holiday party.

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It looks like Hershey's has just rolled out a new limited edition chocolate for the upcoming Christmas season. Before I took a good look at the package, I momentarily thought that the Candy Cane Mint Kisses might be tiny mints that were shaped like Kisses, but it turns out that they are a white chocolate-based treat. The white kisses are flavored with mint and have red stripes on the outside. Embedded in the chocolate are tiny red nonpareils, which add a tiny crunch to the candy and look vaguely like bits of candy cane, though they actually have no discernible flavor of their own. The chocolate is very smooth and the mint is not so overwhelming that it would stop you from reaching for a second, but the Kisses seem to be slightly richer than average. Overall, these seem like a good holiday candy option to put out in a candy dish for occasional treat, but they're not so good that I would want to have a bowl all to myself. If they ever decide to put bits of candy cane in them, however, I might have to reconsider.

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New Year's Eve, coming right in the middle of winter (for most of us) as well as in the middle of the night, is not always the warmest occasion. There is the body heat of standing in Times Square with thousands upon thousands of other people, but there's no denying the fact that near freezing temperatures and a combination of rain and snow are less than pleasant to be out in.  A warm drink is perfectly suited for the occasion. In fact, this combination of peppermint and hot chocolate is warming, chocolatey and almost refreshing. If you don't want to use schnapps, add about a half teaspoon of peppermint extract. Don't forget a peppermint stick or candy cane as garnish and a marshmallow or two!

Peppermint Spiked Hot Chocolate
6-8 ounces hot chocolate
1 1/2 ounces peppermint schnapps
peppermint stick
marshmallows

Prepare hot chocolate according to directions. Add peppermint schnapps and stir with a peppermint stick. Add marshmallows, to taste, before drinking.
Serves 1.

[Photo by Nicole Weston]