K.A.C. 2011 - T - 11 ...

    

Welcome back! With only eleven days to go, it's time to unwrap (almost) everyone's favorite Christmas Confection: the Candy Cane! I personally don't care for them (not a big fan of mint), but I know a lot of people who do, so today's entry is for you.

     First up we unravel the mystery of how a candy cane is made and what it's actually made from! The answers (and the illuminating video) can be found here: 

http://io9.com/5866845/how-are-candy-canes-made

     Next, we delve into candy cane legend and lore ... the most common explanation is known  The Legend of the Candy Cane, and it goes like this: "Where did the Candy Cane come from? In a small Indiana town, there was a candymaker who wanted to spread the name of Jesus around the world. He invented the Christmas Candy Cane, incorporating symbols for the birth, ministry, and death of Jesus Christ. He began with a stick of pure white, hard candy to symbolize the Virgin Birth. The candymaker formed the stick into a “J” to represent the name of Jesus. It can also represent the staff of the “Good Shepherd.” He thought the candy was too plain so he stained it with a red stripe to symbolize the blood shed by Christ on the cross." Hmmm, somebody should have explained this to Kitty! 


    

Last but not least today, if you just can't get enough candy cane into your system, here's a recipe for you - it's for Candy Cane Cocoa! Give it a try!


Candy Cane Cocoa

• 4 cups milk
• 3 (1 ounce) squares semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 4 peppermint candy canes, crushed
• 1 cup whipped cream
• 4 small peppermint candy canes

1. Heat the milk until steaming hot – NOT boiling.
2. Add the chocolate and crushed peppermint candy and allow them to melt and become smooth.
3. Pour into Christmas mugs and garnish with whipped cream and crushed candy canes.
4. Or add candy cane stirring stick to make it extra special!                

      Back tomorrow with more!