Peppermint Hot Chocolate

Crazy for Candy Canes

Hello,

There was a time when grandmothers kept a covered glass candy dish, always in the same spot, perhaps on the coffee table, holding hard candies for visitors to sample. Delicate and colorful ribbon candy was a Christmas favorite. The concept of the candy dish has gone by the wayside, although I doubt that we are consuming less sugar. Early in the holiday season, I had trouble finding traditional candy canes. The stores had peppermint sticks and candy canes in bizarre colors and flavors, but not the traditional candy cane with the shepherd’s crook. I associate the cool peppermint freshness with Christmas and a crisp, snowy day. Since tracking some down, I have added them to the greenery on the dining room table, hung them on the boughs of the Christmas tree, and even tucked them into the bows atop wrapped gifts.

Another peppermint treat at this time of year is the peppermint pig that originated in Saratoga Springs during Victorian times. As Saratoga is famous for horse racing, I’m not sure why the treat is not a peppermint horse, but maybe the long legs would be a problem for a candy maker. According to the New York Times, European chefs came to work in the upscale hotels when the casinos were thriving in the 1880s, and they were accustomed to working with marzipan, a combination of almond paste, sugar, and egg whites. Marzipan was unavailable to Jim Mangay, a Saratoga candy maker, who decided to invent an alternative candy and brought some peppermint oil from his dad’s apothecary back to the kitchen. Apothecaries sold peppermint oil to settle an upset stomach or soothe a headache. A new hard candy, the peppermint pig, was born, and a popular item until sugar began to be rationed during WWII, and its production was halted.

The peppermint pig was reintroduced by Mike Fitzgerald of Saratoga Sweets in 1988, who was able to use the original mold. The Times describes the peppermint pig as the “size of a pig’s foot,” but that reference is only moderately helpful to me! The one thing I can remember when my family shared one several years ago is that there was ample candy to pass around the table. Tradition dictates that the peppermint candy is shared after a holiday meal, with each family member striking the candy pig packaged in its red pouch with a tiny hammer. Everyone shares a story from the past year and wishes for health and happiness in the new year.

Image from the Saratoga Sweets website

The candy canes I finally tracked down this year are undoubtedly made with corn syrup. However, if you’d like to read about a family business that uses real cane sugar to make candy canes by hand, read Amy Allen’s Palate & Palette interview with the owner and candy maker at Tuck’s Candy Factory in Rockport, MA. Amy describes the appeal of the candy canes this way: “Candy canes hanging on shop wires show a human touch by virtue of their slightly varied shapes, end cuts, and lengths. Each one is unique.” Tuck’s Candy Factory has been around since 1929, and it is easy to see why.

Peppermint Hot Chocolate Recipe

Ingredients

2 1/2 c. whole milk

4 oz. dark chocolate, chopped into small pieces

2 T. cocoa

1/2 t. vanilla

1/4 t. peppermint oil

1 T. sugar, more to taste

whipped cream and crushed candy cane, optional

Directions

Pour milk into a small pot with a heavy bottom and heat on medium-low for about 3 minutes. Do not allow the milk to boil. After 3 minutes, pour in chocolate, cocoa powder, sugar, and extracts. Use a whisk to stir every 10 seconds or so. At first, the mixture will be grainy, but as the chocolate cools, the color will deepen, and everything will come together. Heat for around 5 minutes until slightly thickened.

Yield: 2 servings

Top with whipped cream and crushed candy cane.

Handmade doll and photo by Vicki Smith

Thank you for reading. I appreciate all the likes, comments, shares on Notes, and emails about the newsletter that I received in 2024. Happy holidays!!!

Vicki