Peppermint Snowflakes

OK, now that the Christmas baking is over, I am back to ridiculously easy recipes.  I actually made these last week, but they are a fantastic way to use up those leftover candy canes. 

I came across these snowflake ice trays on clearance and decided they would work well for another one of my chocolate kitchen projects.  They turned out so cute, I just had to use them again.  (And yes, since they are ice trays after all, I did make up some silly snowflake ice for Christmas Day too.  Why not, right?)

This is basically just peppermint bark spooned into molds.  What you'll need:

• White Chocolate
• Candy Canes (I used 2 for one 8 oz. package of chocolate)
• Molds of your choice
• A hammer (which is the only thing I have found to work on Candy Canes, but if you have a better idea, I'm all ears)
• Plastic bag or wax paper to protect your candy
• Microwave-safe bowl (I use my Pyrex measuring cup)
• Small Spoon (a baby spoon worked wonderfully for me)

First order of business is to crush your candy canes.  My method is to unwrap them and fold them into a few layers of wax paper and turn it into a pouch.  You really do need several layers - once your candy starts breaking up, it gets some sharp edges that will poke holes in the paper, and then you get tiny pieces all over your kitchen.  I used to use a ziploc bag for this step but it shreds really fast - I find wax paper to be much more sturdy for the job.

Once it's crushed, set the candy aside and move on to your chocolate. 

I always melt mine in the microwave.  Just follow the instructions on the package, and check it frequently once you get past the recommended time.  It tends to hold its shape, even when ready, so you'll need to actually stir it to find out if it's done.  Once it stirs up nice and smooth, add your crushed peppermint and stir it up:

Then I just spooned it into my molds.  It may be a little bit stiff (as you can tell by the spoon peaks in the molds).  So to smooth it out, I banged the molds (gently!) on the counter to settle them until they were even on the bottoms.  Since they will be face up on your trays, a smooth base will help!

You can let them set on the counter, or speed things along by putting them in the refrigerator.  Mine went in the frig.

You will know they're set when they pop right out of the molds.  If you're using silicone ones like I am, push up on the bottom and see if it loosens.

They look like more work than they are - which is my kind of recipe!

Enjoy! ~ Adrianne