Hello everyone! I know it’s been a little while since the last post, and I hope everyone has been well. It was a crazy week for me, but somewhere in the chaos I got to celebrate my birthday.

I’ve always felt lucky to have a birthday that falls so close to Christmas, my favorite time of the year.  Though I’m a firm believer that Christmas is more a spirit or a special kind of magic than anything tangible, I never get enough of all the more earthly reminders that it’s that time of year.  The smells of fir trees and cinnamon, the sparkling decorations,  flannel pajamas and holiday movie nights, warm church music, and (of course) all the festive food.  I always demanded peppermint ice cream and spice cake with maple – cream cheese frosting at my childhood birthday parties.  Sadly this is not a universally appealing combination, so these days I settle for something a little more tame but still delicious; hot chocolate with peppermint whipped cream.

This cream is so easy to make and will dress up any holiday dessert. Try it with pudding, chocolate cake, angel food cake, or gingerbread.  This time I whipped the cream a lot so it wouldn’t immediately melt in the hot liquid, but as a topping for cake leave a bit softer and lighter.

Thank you to my near and dear ones who celebrated with me this year.  And thanks to Mom for surprising me with the original combination this year too (wink).

PEPPERMINT WHIPPED CREAM

You’ll Need

• 1 cup of cold heavy cream
• about 20-25 round peppermint candies

Here’s How

• Unwrap the candies and put them in a large, heavy-duty zip-lock bag.  On a surface such as a cutting board (or perhaps in the garage or outside) use a rolling-pin or meat mallet to gently crush the candies. You can also use a heavy can of soup if you don’t have either of these tools.  You’ll want to grind them enough so you’re left with a dust and some small pieces, as shown in the photo below

• In a large bowl, measure out the cream.  Whip until soft peaks form.  You won’t need to add any sugar because the sweetness of the candies will be enough.
• Add the candy and gently mix until completely incorporated.
• Make the cocoa according to the package instructions, top with a dollop of the whipped cream and garnish with a candy cane. Voila! Christmas in a cup….

And the original inspiration….