Peppermint Sugar Cubes

I have been very negligent in posting in my blog, this makes me sad. But with the holidays, which have been very hectic and a terminally ill mother, I will give myself a break. Caring for ill loved ones challenges under the best of conditions, but I have been challenged by multiple family issues and a daily emergency or two. 

I have never been so busy in my whole life, and I need to return to the things that make me happy....baking and cooking. I have also been very good about exercising and good food choices. There are very few baking options that I can identify that fit into a 1200 calorie diet. But, I will bake for others. A little taste will not hurt!

So, in reflecting over the holidays, I have determined two things: I love to make fudge, my very favorite Christmas indulgence and I buy way too many candy canes every year, way too many! I love the peppermint taste and this low fat, low calorie treat. But I have a lot left even after I have indulged. I grind them to put on the top of whipped cream, sprinkle them on latte's, and add them to brownies for a peppermint twist. I also give many away to the multiple carolers and visitors that stop by our fire. But, I have found a great recipe for the use of the extras. They were a huge hit at a recent meeting I attended, and I wanted to share. I still have a lot of candy canes left, and I saw at Target that they had them for $.10 a box in case you are in the mood to make some of these yummy cubes.

                                                                        

Peppermint Sugar Cubes:

Take about {6 large} candy canes and pulse them in your food processor until they are ground up. Add 1/2 cup granulated sugar and pulse until blended with the candy canes. Stop here if you just want peppermint sugar. 

Since I was making sugar cubes, I removed the larger chunks of peppermint. Drizzle a teaspoon of water into the mixture and blend together. Add drops of water until the mixture is moist – too moist and the sugar will dissolve. 

Press the moistened sugar into candy molds or small ice cube trays. Tip: I used wax paper to press the sugar into the mold since it’s so sticky. Let the cubes dry overnight and remove them from the molds. 
                                                

Take a few marshmallows and skewer them for a fun swizzle stick. I get the sticks at Wal Mart in the craft department, they have multiple sizes and they are perfect for baking.