December 26 was National Candy Cane Day.
In folklore, the story of the candy cane is full of religious symbolism. The shape of the candy cane itself symbolizes a shepherd's crook. Legend goes that in 1847, an Indiana candy maker colored the canes red, for the blood of Jesus. The white was said to represent purity and the Virgin birth. Turned upside down, the candy cane looks like a "J," for Jesus.
Many, including Snopes.com, have debunked this story, saying that candy canes have been around since the 17th century. There's no basis for the explanation of the symbolism in historical fact - they weren't red and they weren't striped. Still, they taste good no matter what color they are!
In recent years, the candy cane has graduated from being peppermint-only, and in all colors and flavors. McPhee.com is even selling a bacon-flavored candy cane. The website tells you to "sneak one in with regular candy canes!" That's just mean. Probably not as mean as giving someone a pickle-flavored one. They have those too.
Broken candy canes? Don't toss them - make peppermint bark out of them instead with this simple recipe from Eatocracy associate editor Sarah LeTrent.
6-8 regular-sized candy canes
1 pound white chocolate
Line a large baking sheet with parchment or waxed paper. Place candy canes in a plastic bag and gently crush – set aside.
Melt the chocolate in a double boiler. If you don’t have a double boiler, you can use the microwave or set a stainless steel bowl over a pot of simmering water.
Stir three-quarters of the candy cane chunks into the melted chocolate. Pour and spread mixture to 1/4-inch thickness onto the prepared baking sheet, and sprinkle with the remaining candy cane pieces. Place in the refrigerator to firm – about 30 to 45 minutes.
Break into jagged pieces and serve.
