Delicious Reading: 'The Suburban Soapbox'

If October and November belong to pumpkin spice, December belongs to peppermint.

Christmas shopping and a Starbucks skinny peppermint mocha just go together. Why have plain old vanilla with the chocolate birthday cake we bake for Jesus on Dec. 24 when we could top it with Prairie Farms’ peppermint stick ice cream? Everything is just more festive when adorned with candy canes.

Peppermint bark is a favorite winter confection, but I have had trouble with the presentation of it. My bark never cracks up in delightfully rugged but similarly-sized pieces. Nope. There are monster-size chunks and dust. Luckily Kellie, creator of www.thesuburbansoapbox.com, has a solution. Coat chocolate wafers with the peppermint bark! These thin, round, crunchy cookies complement the white chocolate and mint perfectly. The jolly treats will look beautiful on a cookie tray or packaged in cellophane with a bow at the top.

While I found this “food experimenter” and self-taught cook’s blog by chance via Pinterest, I plan to return to try more of her many recipes. This will be the gift that keeps on giving!

No-Bake Peppermint Bark Cookies

Ingredients:

1 (12-ounce) package Ghirardelli White Chocolate Melts (or chopped good-quality white chocolate)

1/2 teaspoon pure peppermint extract (not imitation extract)

1 (9-ounce) package chocolate wafer cookies

8 candy canes, crushed

Instructions:

Pour the white chocolate into a small microwave-safe bowl and melt in the microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring after each cycle. Once the chocolate is melted, stir in the peppermint extract.

Dip the top of the wafer cookies in the chocolate to coat and set on a wire rack. Sprinkle with the candy canes and allow the cookies to cool until the chocolate is set.

Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.