Do you like candy canes? I never seem to get through a whole one, even when I was a kid. I would just suck on it until the end became sharp and spikey…then I would prod and torment my little brother with it.
Candy Canes…so sweet, so dangerous.
I do, however, like them crushed up so they become minty, crunchy, candy-cane-y sprinkles. That’s the best way to eat a candy cane in my opinion, sprinkled over some other sweet treat. Can you even believe I had to go to 2 different stores to find plain, old, peppermint canes?! The first store only sold those fruity, sour ones–they told me they weren’t even going to sell the traditional kind this year! I was baffled and told anyone that would listen all about it. They did sell pre-crushed candy canes in the baking section, but they cost way more than broken pieces of candy should. Like double the cost for half the amount of canes in a regular box. What the heck?! So, I went to a different store, got my canes, and smashed them with a mallet. Cost effective and stress relieving.
I’ve been planning on making these truffles for weeks now so I could stir them into a glass of hot milk for instant hot chocolate, but I’ve been waiting for our first snow and now that it’s here, it’s truffle hot chocolate time. I cut them into little cubes instead of rolling them into balls, it’s a quicker, easier process this way…plus, I think the little cubes are just so dang pretty.
And, I like pretty.
Candy Cane Truffle Hot Chocolate
I originally saw the idea to make truffles for hot chocolate here on Pinterest. These can be stirred into a cup of hot milk for a festive, warm beverage, or simply eaten as is. This recipe can be easily doubled, tripled, etc…just remember 2 parts chocolate to 1 part heavy cream. Viola! Truffle ganache!
4 ounces heavy cream
8 ounces semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate (chopped or chips)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
3 candy canes, crushed
hot milk (6-8 ounces per serving)
Line a small loaf pan with parchement, set aside.
Place the chocolate in a medium bowl and set aside. Heat cream in a small saucepan over medium-low heat to scald (just before it boils, there will be little bubbles around the edges of the pan). Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and cover (I just used a plate to cover my bowl) and allow to sit for about 5 minutes. Remove cover and stir vigouroulsy until smooth. Stir in vanilla and peppermint extracts until combined. If not all of the chocolate pieces are smooth and melted, fashion a double boiler out of a saucepan of simmering water and a heatproof bowl, gently heat chocolate mixture until smooth.
Pour the chocolate mixture into the loaf pan and smooth top. Sprinkle with candy cane pieces and allow to cool to room temperature. Chill in the refrigerator until firm, about 30-60 minutes. Remove truffle from the pan and cut into cubes.
To make hot chocolate: Heat some milk in a pan or in the microwave. Place truffles into mugs (1-2 pieces per cup) and pour milk over the top. Stir. Top with whipped cream and more candy cane sprinkles as desired.
WHOA! That’s an amazing idea! Also, I completely agree with your decision to go square on these. Super cute! Sour candy canes? That’s not right.
not right at all! and thanks!
Oh my ganache. I’d like to eat one while drinking one.
I totally did that.
Haha! Oh my ganache…
can these be eaten without putting in hot milk. like individual truffles. see i am obsessed!
nadia, yes! they can certainly be eaten without the hot milk. I have done exactly that with about half of them already!
I’m all about crushed candy canes sprinkled on chocolate. These truffles are so festive and fun- totally getting me into the holiday mood!
candy canes on chocolate are where it’s at!
I’M SO IN LOVE WITH THIS IDEA!!! (Can you tell?!) No, but seriously it’s totally genius.
Adrianna, I know, right?! When I first saw it, I was like, duh. Of course.
I love this idea! And now I follow you on pinterest 🙂
Julie, nice! I love Pinterest…it could be a problem 😉
i love how you’re adding text to your images, which makes them look right out of a magazine. these candy cane truffles look delicious!
thanks Cindy! this is the best comment ever!
Whaaaat, I didn’t even think that finding “normal” candy canes would be an issue! Did you end up finding them at somewhere like Wal Mart or Target? I’m going to make the candy cane Christmas wreath I’ve seen floating around on Pinterest with my boyfriend’s little brother and his nieces and nephew!
Ashlee, Target came through and had a whole bunch of them! Thank goodness! That candy cane wreath sounds cute too!
It’s super cute. You hot glue candy canes back to back, then front to front, making hearts…Does that make sense? It’s on my Pinterest – http://pinterest.com/pin/134685845075674821/
Also, how many pieces did you get out of the loaf pan?
That’s cute! The loaf pan makes about 15 cubes if you cute it into 5ths crosswise and then 3rds lengthwise 🙂
I love how dark these truffles are… Beautiful! Perfect to use up those candy canes too :p
These look amazing. I love how dark and rich the chocolate looks.
Thanks Andrea! I just love dark chocolate…the contrast is just a bonus 😉
I love this idea. I definitely want to try this. Do these need to be stored in the fridge?
Lori, I would store them in the fridge. They get super soft at room temperature.
Absolutely love this idea for hot chocolate! Beautiful photos, and such a festive idea for the holidays.
Thanks Rachel!
This is a great use of candy canes! I am going to try it!
I hope you do!
this looks DANGEROUS (in a good way!) i love peppermint flavored anything this time of year. beautiful blog!
they are dangerous for my hips! thanks rachel!
These look AMAZING!!!!
Thanks Andi!
This is a great idea! But, can you tell me how many truffle pieces per recipe? I just want to know so that if I do this, then I have the right proportion for the hot milk. Thanks!
Hi Tracy, this recipe makes about 15 cubes if you cut the bar first into 5ths crosswise and then into 3rds lengthwise. Cheers!
I am so happy my friend Andi showed me your blog, I look forward to enjoying your posts! These truffles look so decadent, and just delicious:-) Love your pictures! Take care, Terra
Thanks Terra! I’m glad you found me 🙂
These truffles sound amazing! I’m somewhat obsessed with peppermint this year, so these are right up my alley. And your photos are sooo gorgeous!!
Thanks! Peppermint and chocolate is a good combo to be obsessed with.
Wow, this the absolute perfect holiday dessert recipe! I was actually looking for ways to incorporate crushed candy cane pieces for a fresh holiday cocktail, and then I discovered your site. Thank you for sharing this, I will be sure to try it. Plus, your photos are beautiful and vibrant. I can almost taste it! Great job.
Thank you Melissa! I think this would be great a a hot cocoa cocktail with some minty liquer!
These look amazing! I’m adding them to my list of treats to make and give….or just eat by myself. We’ll see!
Melissa, I hope you make them! They’d be a perfect gift!
Cool idea! We just pinned it to our new Pinterest page 🙂 Thanks for sharing! Pinterest.com/chocoley
Awesome! Thanks for visiting!
These sound amazing! Definitely making some for myself! How long do you think they’ll last? I’d love to make some for presents, but not sure how many days in advance I should do them.
Tami, I wouldn’t make them more than a day or two in advance. I hope you like them! Sorry for the delayed reply.
In a very plutonic, excited about marrying chocolate and peppermint kind of way, I love you for inventing this.
I just discovered your blog and I can’t stop swooning over the loveliness. Such beautiful photos!
I just made truffles two days ago and debated about squares, but Igave in and rolled them. However now I agree – the little squares are so so pretty.
Nice! I love rolled truffles too, but the squares are pretty and easy 🙂
So I stumbled on to your blog from pinterest and I am so happy I did! I will be making these tonight 🙂 Thank you for sharing, and BTW you have a really great blog!
Ohohoh! Have you tried this with white chocolate? I might have to have a truffle-making party later!!
I have not, but I bet it would be good. A truffle party sounds like great fun!
This makes me sooo happy! I have a daughter who’s crazy for peppermint and chocolate. I’m sending her a package for her b’day in a week. Totally sending these. Thank you! I have a question: You said “small” loaf pan. Do you mean the kind for mini loaves? I have three sizes, 9″, 8″, and the mini’s which are maybe 5″ or so.
I used a mini size, about 5inches. You could use whatever vessel you would like, just be aware that the width and depth may change the look, but the flavor should be fine. Thanks Kate!
Thank YOU!!
Is there a suggested expiration date? Lets say I make them this weekend and freeze them until the 20th when I give them to co-workers, would that work? Also could I add some dark unsweetened coco to make the chocolate a little bit darker? The picture looks like it’s dark chocolate, but the recipe said you semi sweet/bittersweet? Thanks.
I used the ghiradelli 60% cacao chips, but you could really use whatever you like. A bit of cocoa powder would probably be okay, like a tablespoon, but much more may dry out the truffles. As far as making the truffles ahead and freezing, I would be worried about the texture once unfrozen. I would suggest making these the week you plan to gift them and refrigerate, if needed. These are really easy to make just a day or two ahead, though, and taste best this way. I hope that helps! Thanks for the comment, Amanda!
Hi,
Adorable recipe. I have purchased all of the ingredients and plan to test out tonight. I see you mention a small loaf pan. I want clarification because I do not want to mess up the thickness of the truffle. When you say small is this a regular pan (10″ x 5″ x 2 3/4″) overall or would this be the mini one (5 1/2″ x 3″ x 2 1/4″)? Please let me know ASAP!! Thanks =)
Just kidding I saw your response to this question above. Missed this earlier. Thanks!
No problem 🙂 Happy Holidays!
My daughter and I made these last night and I have a question about the texture. After being in the fridge all night, they are still kind of soft and I can’t cut them into squares. They taste great though!
We have both reread the recipe and can’t see that we did anything wrong. Any ideas?
Thanks in advance for the help!
Lisa, there’s a possibility it could be the cream–maybe not heavy enough? You could also try freezing for a short time (20 minutes), or perhaps roll them into balls. Sorry they didn’t set up, I’m confused as well!
We still enjoyed using it for some yummy hot chocolate and I have also stirred some into my coffee. 🙂
I’m glad! Thanks for the feedback, Lisa!
I am so happy I found your site today via Pinterest! What lovely photos. Looks delicious and right up my alley. 🙂
Emily
What is the serving size of one batch?
this recipes makes about 12-15 pieces, depending on how you cut them.