Candy Cane Coffee 7.11 Santa's Secret Stuff

“I melted three entire candy canes into this not very large cup of coffee, and still I can barely taste it.” “I know.” “It's just the vaguest whisper of peppermint.” “Peppermint.” “I swear I could get the same effect if I put Vicks Vapor Rub on my chest and drank coffee at the same time.” “Peppermint.” “I mean how arbitrary is it to decide to stop serving candy-cane coffee the day after Christmas? Christmas spirit is not something that can be turned off like a faucet on December 26th.”

Ingredients:

For the peppermint marshmallows:

• ⅓ cup cold water

• 1 packet of unflavored gelatin

• ⅓ cup + 2 tbsp granulated sugar

• ⅓ cup light corn syrup

• ⅛ tsp salt

• ¼ tsp vanilla extract

• ½ tsp peppermint extract

• 2-3 drops red food coloring (optional)

• ¼ cup powdered sugar

For the peppermint syrup:

• ½ cup granulated sugar

• ½ cup water

• 1 ½ tsp peppermint extract

For the peppermint whipped cream:

• ½ cup heavy cream

• ⅓ cup + 2 tbsp powdered sugar

• ½ tsp peppermint extract

For assembly:

• 6 oz freshly brewed coffee

• ¼ cup half and half

• Peppermint candy, crushed

Directions:

For the marshmallows:

1. To make the marshmallows, mix the gelatin and 2 tbsp of the cold water together in a small bowl. Allow to sit for 10 minutes.

2. Place a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the sugar, corn syrup, salt, and the remaining water. Stir until the sugar is dissolved.

3. Once the mixture begins to bubble, allow to simmer for 3 minutes.

4. Transfer the bloomed gelatin to a large mixing bowl then carefully pour the hot syrup over the gelatin. Be careful to avoid splashing.

5. Whisk the marshmallow mixture for 10 minutes on low speed with an electric mixer. It will turn white and become fluffy, doubling in size.

6. Add the vanilla, peppermint, and food coloring if you want pink marshmallows. Then whisk for an additional minute.

7. Dust the bottom of a small baking dish with half of the powdered sugar. Use a fine-mesh sieve to avoid clumping.

8. Using a rubber spatula, evenly spread the marshmallow mixture into the baking dish.

9. Dust the top of the mixture with the remaining powdered sugar. Again, using a sieve to avoid clumps.

10. Cover and allow the mixture to set for at least 8 hours. Once the marshmallows have set, use a cookie cutter to create shaped marshmallows (I used a gingerbread man) or cut into 1 inch cubes.

For the syrup:

1. Combine the sugar, water, and peppermint in a medium saucepan and place over medium heat.

2. Stir to combine then simmer until the sugar fully dissolves.

3. Remove from heat then allow to completely cool.

For the whipped cream:

1. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and peppermint extract. Whisk with an electric mixer for about 5 minutes, or until soft peaks form.

Assemble the coffee:

1. In a cup or small mixing bowl, combine the half and half with ½ tbsp of the peppermint syrup.

2. Use a milk frother to combine and froth the half and half.

3. Pour the half and half over the coffee and stir gently to combine. Be careful not to knock out the foam.

4. Top with the peppermint whipped cream and crushed peppermint candy.

It’s Christmas in August! If you’ve been following me for a while, you probably know Christmas is my favorite holiday, so I was excited to finally get to this episode. Weston’s candy cane coffee is pretty famous from this show, so I wanted to do it justice, and really pack in the peppermint flavor. However, I made sure it wasn’t too overpowering either. It’s a balance!

Happy cooking from the Hollow!

If you missed what I made last episode, catch up here!

Merry Christmas