Ground Peppermint Sticks

Flickr Photo Credit: Tanakawho

This one is more of a tip than a recipe. I heard it on the morning news after Christmas. Basically, you take all of your left over candy canes and other peppermint candies and process them in a coarse-chopping blender or grinder. Save the resulting chopped bits and powder in an airtight container. They make a great addition to hot chocolate, mocha coffee, ice cream and various baked goods. If this idea really appeals to you, consider picking up extra peppermint candy items during the post-holiday sales to process in bulk. You could even separate red and white candies for Valentines Day and green and white ones for Saint Patrick’s Day.