Mistletoe Make & Bake Blog Hop Day 1
Today is the first day of the Mistletoe Make & Bake Holiday Blog Hop, and we’ve got some really fun plans for the week! First up is Sherri Falls of This and That so be sure to hop over to see what fun project she has for you today, and be sure to check out all the other designer’s blogs for their cookie recipes. Most importantly, don’t forget to comment on the blogs…you could win a great prize!
As I was thinking about today’s theme, Christmas Trivia … myth or truth, my thoughts kept going back to my Grandfather’s love of soft peppermint candy at Christmastime. Candy canes can be found every where at Christmas, and are as much a decoration as a sugary treat. I did a little research on the origin of the candy cane, and learned that it wasn’t always crooked or striped.
Historians say that candy canes were originally all white sugar sticks used as tree decorations. In the late 1600’s a choirmaster at the Cologne Cathedral in Germany bent the sugar candy sticks to resemble a shepherd’s staff, and gave the candy canes out to children to keep them quiet during long nativity services.
Striped candy canes appeared about 1900, along with peppermint and wintergreen flavors, which became the traditional favorites.
My grandfather’s favorite were the soft peppermint sticks, not the hard brittle candy canes that are usually found at this time of year. At one point, Bob’s Candies in Albany, GA (which was about 35 miles from my grandparents’ home) was the world’s largest manufacturer of candy canes, and every year someone would give my grandfather a big box of Bob’s Candies Mint Sticks as a gift. My grandmother would dole these out to the grandchildren during our visits, usually accompanied by a glass of chocolate milk. We’d sip our milk using the mint sticks as our straws until they literally dissolved…that’s how soft and porous they were! I think this is probably the reason I can’t eat chocolate and mint together today…we would make ourselves sick drinking chocolate milk with peppermint stick straws!
I do love peppermint candy, though, particularly the soft peppermints – I just love the way they dissolve on my tongue! In celebration of the candy cane, enjoy this fun recipe for Candy Cane Sugar Cookies:
To download the recipe card as a pdf file click here!
Come back tomorrow when I’ll share another cookie recipe and my tip for saving your sanity during the crazy busy Christmas season.
Melisa
Tags: Candy Cane Sugar Cookies, candy canes, Mistletoe Make & Bake Blog Hop, recipe
November 15th, 2010 at 12:16 PM
Thanks for sharing the cookie recipe.
November 15th, 2010 at 12:30 PM
Thanks for sharing.
November 15th, 2010 at 12:37 PM
Thanks so much for posting this recipe! I haven’t made these cookies for years, and had forgotten all about them. They’ll definitely have to go on my cookie list this year.
November 15th, 2010 at 12:50 PM
Oh wow this looks so yummy. Thanks!
November 15th, 2010 at 12:51 PM
These cookies look great. Can’t wait for tomorrow’s tips!
November 15th, 2010 at 1:04 PM
Melissa, how did you know that a friend of mine picks a theme for her christmas parties, decorating, and baking for the season and this year it is candy canes. I can’t wait to send her this recipe and your little history lesson on the candy canes. Thanks you for sharing. I look forward to the rest of the hop.
November 15th, 2010 at 1:08 PM
I have to try your cookie recipe.
November 15th, 2010 at 1:33 PM
Thank you for sharing your recipe! How cute are these!!
November 15th, 2010 at 3:06 PM
Great recipe…I’ll have to try them!
Thanks!
November 15th, 2010 at 3:12 PM
Thank you for the added fun this week!
And, thank you for the holiday recipe!
November 15th, 2010 at 3:21 PM
What a blessing to have had grandparents who spoiled us! Love the idea of peppermint sugar cookies. Thanks for sharing your recie!
November 15th, 2010 at 3:33 PM
Oh, I haven’t had soft peppermint in AGES! Thanks for sharing grandparent memories! Looking forward to the rest of the bloghop!
November 15th, 2010 at 4:05 PM
Love the recipe. I have not tried anything like this before and I look forward to trying it. Thx for sharing!
November 15th, 2010 at 4:46 PM
Thank you for the cookie recipe.
November 15th, 2010 at 4:48 PM
Thank you for sharing your memories, and your cookie recipe.
November 15th, 2010 at 5:11 PM
Thanks for sharing your cookie recipe!
November 15th, 2010 at 5:17 PM
Thanks for sharing your cookie recipe!
November 15th, 2010 at 5:39 PM
What a wonderful story of peppermint and hot cocoa with your Grandfather!! Thanks for the cookie recipe, too! Polly
November 15th, 2010 at 5:59 PM
Thanks for the cookie recipe!
November 15th, 2010 at 6:22 PM
Thanks for the cookie recipe and the intersting story about the candy cane.
November 15th, 2010 at 6:41 PM
Such a festive cookie! A family favorite for us. Thanks for sharing the history of the candy cane and the personal story!
November 15th, 2010 at 6:46 PM
Can’t wait until tomorrows tips. I need to have my sanity saved!
November 15th, 2010 at 7:10 PM
Seriously, candy cane cookies are my absolute favorite Christmas cookie. Thanks for putting a big ole smile on my face!
November 15th, 2010 at 7:42 PM
Melisa–please tell me y’all will have an exercise program to go along with all these cookie recipes!!!!! I remember making these same cookies as a kid. Loved the story about your grandparents too. HUGS!
November 15th, 2010 at 7:43 PM
Cookies of any kind yum. My mom says that her first job was hand making candy canes at a shop in Illinois.
November 15th, 2010 at 7:52 PM
Yum, love Christmas cookies of all kinds!
November 15th, 2010 at 8:25 PM
I haven’t made these in years. Guess I’m going to have to this year. Thank you.
November 15th, 2010 at 8:53 PM
great recipe. can’t wait to try it
November 15th, 2010 at 9:05 PM
I haven’t made these in years and years! They look so pretty on a plate with other Christmas goodies. Thanks for the reminder.
November 15th, 2010 at 9:13 PM
great recipe Thank You Can not wait to try
November 15th, 2010 at 9:16 PM
Thanks for sharing this great recipe!
November 15th, 2010 at 9:31 PM
I love anything with peppermint, so I’ll definitely keep this one! Thanks!
November 15th, 2010 at 9:52 PM
These sound wonderful! Thanks so much.
November 15th, 2010 at 9:53 PM
Thank you for the delicious recipe!
SheilaC
November 15th, 2010 at 10:05 PM
Candy Cane cookies are one of my family’s favorites! I love candy cane candies and this was great information! Thanks for sharing!
November 15th, 2010 at 10:35 PM
Thank you for the great hop and this fantastic recipe. ~Kathleen
November 15th, 2010 at 10:43 PM
I used to make these every year when I had kids at home! Now I wonder how I EVER found the time to make them LOL The kids loved to take them to their school because all the other kids thought it was amazing that I had the time to twist the candy canes. My what memories, just from a recipe!!
November 15th, 2010 at 11:01 PM
What a great cookie! Thanks for sharing
November 15th, 2010 at 11:02 PM
The Candy Cane Sugar Cookies sound wonderful – can’t wait to try them!
November 15th, 2010 at 11:15 PM
Yummy! In my mind I can taste these cookies with a cup of hot cocoa! Thanks so much!
November 15th, 2010 at 11:16 PM
Thanks for the recipe! They sound yummy!
November 15th, 2010 at 11:23 PM
I love soft candy canes too. Thanks for the cookie version of a favorite Christmas candy.
November 16th, 2010 at 12:03 AM
Of all the cookies I have made, I’ve never tried these. They always look pretty inthe pictures.
November 16th, 2010 at 1:37 AM
Such a great idea! It is fun to visit and thanks for the yummy recepie!
November 16th, 2010 at 6:27 AM
These were my favorite Christmas cookies to make when I was a kid – thanks for the memories!
November 16th, 2010 at 6:43 AM
Some of my “sweetest” Christmas memories revolve around soft peppermint sticks.
November 16th, 2010 at 8:22 AM
I love the soft peppermint sticks also and so do my children. Every once in a while we can find them at a non Christmas time and it is such a treat.
November 16th, 2010 at 8:42 AM
This sounds like a great cookie! Thanks for sharing the recipe:)
November 16th, 2010 at 10:11 AM
Ohh, I love sugar cookies. Thanks!!
November 16th, 2010 at 11:50 AM
Thanks for the delicious recipe, will give it a try.
November 16th, 2010 at 1:14 PM
Thanks for the yummy recipe and the little history lesson – how fun! Thanks to this hop I found your blog, will follow you from now on. HUGS… and stitches
November 16th, 2010 at 1:15 PM
Thanks for sharing the info about candy canes. I’m sure my grandchildren will love these cookies.
November 16th, 2010 at 2:41 PM
My husband & kids all love peppermint…have to try these….thanks!
November 16th, 2010 at 4:23 PM
So glad to be introduced to your blog
Thank you for sharing your recipe and look forward to learning more with you!!
November 16th, 2010 at 5:16 PM
Thanks for the recipe.
November 16th, 2010 at 5:31 PM
What a wonderful memory of your Grandparents! Thanks for the Peppermint history.
November 17th, 2010 at 12:08 AM
Thank you for the story about the candy canes and the sugar cookie C.Canes.
November 17th, 2010 at 11:16 AM
That’s a sweet story. Thanks for it and the recipe.
November 17th, 2010 at 2:19 PM
Thanks . Love, love your pictures….
November 19th, 2010 at 3:49 PM
Great recipe!
November 20th, 2010 at 7:00 AM
Your recipe looks great, thanks.
November 20th, 2010 at 11:22 AM
I love Bob’s peppermints…and used to buy the BIG container at the warehouse store for backstage in the dressing room at Nutcracker for the girls when my daughter was still home dancing…great memories. Will try the cookies when she is home for Christmas as a surprise. Thank you!
November 20th, 2010 at 11:52 AM
Thanks for the memory and the recipe.
November 20th, 2010 at 4:36 PM
This is so much fun. Can’t wait to bake (and make things).
November 20th, 2010 at 8:11 PM
I love Candy Cane cookies and peppermint in general!
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