Tuesday, December 26, 2017

How to Turn Candy Canes into Amazing Peppermint Syrup for #NationalCandyCaneDay by Cleo Coyle


Today is National Candy Cane Day (I kid you not). Because it's also the day after Christmas, I'm sharing a recipe to make good use of any leftover candy canes. Or you might want to grab a half-priced box from those post-holiday store shelves before they disappear. You won't be sorry. This syrup is amazingly delicious!
👇




A Note from Cleo


Cleo Coyle has a partner in
crime-writing—her husband.
Learn about their books
by clicking here and here.

This sweet, potent syrup is fantastic licked right off the spoon, but you may want to serve it over ice cream, stir it into hot chocolate, drizzle it over cupcakes, or (with New Year's Eve coming up) splash it into holiday cocktails...

🍸

Our readers may remember a version of this recipe from our Coffeehouse Mystery Holiday Buzz, a fun and festive read for the Season. Our amateur sleuth (coffeehouse manger Clare) finds a body after catering a glittering Christmas party and is quickly pulled into a case that once again puts her on the path to solving more than one New York mystery. 

To learn more
or download the Free
Recipe Guide, click here.
To see more of the recipes we featured in Holiday Buzz, click here for the Free Recipe Guide.

Clare, of course, would want me to mention...this syrup is also wonderful for making Candy Cane Lattes--another festive way to celebrate these Twelve Days of Christmas. 

So here you are, a fun, easy way to make delicious use of your leftover candy canes...

☕ ~ Cleo Coyle, author of The Coffeehouse Mysteries







🍴

To download this recipe in a PDF
document that you can print,
save, or share, click here.

Click for free recipe PDF.

Candy Cane Syrup  

by Cleo Coyle


Ingredients:

1 cup water
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
8 large candy canes, broken up

Directions: Pour the water and sugar into a large saucepan. Stir over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved. Add the candy cane pieces to the mix and continue stirring and heating. When the candy canes begin to melt, the mix will turn a milky pink. Keep cooking and stirring until the mixture comes to a boil. Boil and continue stirring for 3–4 minutes, until the mixture begins to thicken up. Test it by coating the back of a spoon (see my photos below). Remove from heat. Allow the syrup to cool in the pan before transferring to a storage jar or plastic bottle. To speed up the cooling process, I pop my plastic squeeze bottle into an ice water bath (or the freezer). Unused syrup should be stored in the refrigerator. When chilled, this peppermint syrup will thicken up quite a bit. To re-use, simply put the squeeze bottle or jar of syrup into a warm water bath or microwave for ten seconds.



F o o d i e 

p h o t o s












☕ ☕ ☕


Eat with joy to the world!

~ Cleo Coyle

New York Times bestselling author of
The Coffeehouse Mysteries 


Alice and Marc in Central Park. 
Together we write as Cleo Coyle. 

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8 comments:

  1. That syrup looks absolutely beautiful, Cleo. I have some extra candy canes and this is a wonderful use for them. Thank you so much for sharing the idea. I have enjoyed your Coffeehouse Mysteries for years. Looking forward to your new one in 2018. Happy New Year! Jackie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you kindly, Jackie! Marc and I sincerely appreciate your support as a reader. We hope you continue to enjoy our work in 2018--and for years to come. Happy New Year to you!

      ~ Cleo Coffeehouse Mystery.com
      “Where coffee and crime are always brewing…”
      Cleo Coyle on Twitter
      www.CleoCoyleRecipes.com

      Delete
  2. I love your coffeehouse books, but today I have to thank you for this recipe. I have two dozen un-iced sugar cookies and about a billion candy canes--the perfect match, it seems. Happy new year to everyone on Mystery Lovers Kitchen.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are very welcome. Enjoy the pink peppermint syrup for Candy Cane Day. Thanks for the coffeehouse shout-out, and Happy New Year to you, too!

      ~ Cleo Coffeehouse Mystery.com
      “Where coffee and crime are always brewing…”
      Cleo Coyle on Twitter
      www.CleoCoyleRecipes.com

      Delete
  3. Fun post, never knew there was a National Candy Cane Day. I really enjoyed your two Christmas mysteries, Holiday Grind and Holiday Buzz. Great reads. Thank you and happy holidays to everyone.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Marie - As foodie holidays go, Candy Cane Day truly is an obscure one--and a great excuse for me to melt down my Christmas leftovers! Marc and I are delighted to know how much you enjoyed our two holiday-themed Coffeehouse Mysteries, and we wish you the very best for your own holidays and the New Year. Happy feasting!

      ~ Cleo Coffeehouse Mystery.com
      “Where coffee and crime are always brewing…”
      Cleo Coyle on Twitter
      www.CleoCoyleRecipes.com

      Delete
  4. I hope your holidays are bright!
    And, perhaps, splashed with candy cane syrup!
    I'm thrilled to see someone who realizes that we are only now in Christmas, the twelve days of. All the falderall prior to the 25th is Advent.
    Here's to a fervent wish for 2018 to be a year of worldwide compassion.
    A Haunted Bookshop story would be pretty nice, too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! And you are exactly right about the Twelve Days of Christmas, which are celebrated until the Epiphany, January 6th (and the gifts of the Magi). Always, always a pleasure to see you in the Kitchen, Libby. Marc and I wish you the very best for a joyous New Year! (And keep a lookout for Jack's return in the new year, too.)

      ~ Cleo Coffeehouse Mystery.com
      “Where coffee and crime are always brewing…”
      Cleo Coyle on Twitter
      www.CleoCoyleRecipes.com

      Delete