Sweet Pennies from Heaven

Peppermint Divinity Christmas Candy Recipe

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Divinity is a holiday candy that reminds me of childhood.  If you’ve never had it, it’s a little hard to explain.  The texture is similar to a nougat but it is light and fluffy and can easily be made in many different flavors like this Peppermint Divinity.

Peppermint Divinity

Peppermint Divinity

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • ½ cup light corn syrup
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ½ cup hot water
  • 2 egg whites
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 drops peppermint candy flavoring oil
  • crushed candy canes or peppermint candies.

 

Instructions:

Beat egg whites until stiff.

Dissolve the sugar, syrup, and salt in the hot water.

Cook the mixture, do NOT stir, until the temperature reaches 248 degrees or the firm ball stage.

Wash down the sides of the pan with a damp cloth if any crystals form during cooking.

Remove the mixture from the heat and gradually pour over the stiffly beaten egg whites.  Beat constantly with whisk.   You will probably want to use a stand mixer as this process takes quite some time.

Peppermint Divinity Process 1

Add the extract and flavoring and continue beating until the mixture will hold its shape when dropped from a spoon.

peppermint divinity

Drop the divinity by teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper or spread into a greased pan and cut into squares.

While the divinity is soft, sprinkle crushed up candy canes or peppermint candies on top and gently press into the mixture.

Divinity is a candy that takes patience to make as the process requires whisking for quite some time but the fluffy nuggets are a beautiful holiday treat!

Peppermint Divinity
Recipe Type: candy
Author: Jenni
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Ingredients
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • ½ cup light corn syrup
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ½ cup hot water
  • 2 egg whites
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 drops peppermint candy flavoring oil
  • crushed candy canes or peppermint candies.
Instructions
  1. Beat egg whites until stiff.
  2. Dissolve the sugar, syrup, and salt in the hot water.
  3. Cook the mixture, do NOT stir, until the temperature reaches 248 degrees or the firm ball stage.
  4. Wash down the sides of the pan with a damp cloth if any crystals form during cooking.
  5. Remove the mixture from the heat and gradually pour over the stiffly beaten egg whites. Beat constantly with whisk. You will probably want to use a stand mixer as this process takes quite some time.
  6. Add the extract and flavoring and continue beating until the mixture will hold its shape when dropped from a spoon.
  7. Drop the divinity by teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper or spread into a greased pan and cut into squares.
  8. While the divinity is soft, sprinkle crushed up candy canes or peppermint candies on top and gently press into the mixture.
  9. Divinity is a candy that takes patience to make as the process requires whisking for quite some time but the fluffy nuggets are a beautiful holiday treat!

 

This recipe is included in our 12 Days of Christmas Desserts! If you’ve missed any of the previous days, no worries. You can find them all below! Enjoy!!

Double Layer Peppermint Bark Recipe – Easy Peasy!!

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Peppermint Bark

Winter has arrived and I wanted to be festive this Christmas and make something pretty!! I decided to give Peppermint Bark a try but I wanted to go a step further and make it double layered with milk and white chocolate. It turned out beautifully so I wanted to share it with you!! It’s perfect for Christmas, but it’s great to have all winter long…so yummy! If you’re looking for another fun Christmas treat check out my Peanut Butter Balls recipe. Actually, it’s not necessarily a Christmas treat – we should eat those all year long ;)!

Please note: Before beginning, I had written a tip at the bottom of this post about the sort of white chocolate to buy. Make sure to read and understand that before you start!!

Here’s what you’ll need:

11.5 oz. White Chocolate Chips or Squares for melting (**I recommend Ghirardelli White Baking Squares)
11.5 oz. Bag of  Milk Chocolate chips or squares for melting
12 regular size Candy Canes
Crisco shortening (if needed to thin out chocolate)
Aluminum Foil
Colander
9×13 baking dish or cookie sheet

 

Instructions:

1. Line a 9×13 baking pan or cookie sheet with aluminum foil leaving some extra over all edges. Make sure to try to get it smoothed out on the bottom and in the corners. THIS is one of the ones that I use and love it!!

2. Use a double boiler to melt your milk chocolate OR use microwave directions on the packaging. Just be sure to not over cook it or it will get thick and clumpy. If it’s not thinning out enough to be able to easily pour out of the bowl, you can add a couple tablespoons of Crisco shortening and that will help thin it out some. I don’t recommend vegetable oil.

3. Once it’s thin enough to pour, go ahead and pour the milk chocolate into your aluminum foil lined pan. Smooth it out with the back of a spoon if needed then place in the freezer for 1 hour or until hard.

4. Unwrap all of your candy canes and place in a large ziploc bag. Use a rolling pin or something similar to crush the candy canes into fine pieces. Be sure to not OVER do it or you”ll be left with powder…some powder is good but you also want some nice sized pieces as well. Once you’re finished crushing the candy canes, grab a colander and pour contents of the bag in it. Shake the candy cane powder into a smaller bowl, leaving only the bigger chunks inside the colander. We’ll be adding this powder to the white chocolate mixture so just set aside for now ;)!

5. After your milk chocolate has hardened, pull it out of the freezer and set aside. Now melt your white chocolate the same as you did the milk chocolate…either in a double boiler or in the microwave as per the directions on the bag. Again, if needed…add a little Crisco to thin out. Once it’s thin enough to pour, add the candy cane powder and mix really well then pour ontop of the milk chocolate layer.

6. Smooth out with the back of a spoon if needed, then sprinkle the remaining candy cane chunks on top and use a spatula or spoon to lightly press the candy canes into the white chocolate. That keeps them from falling off later.

7. Now, set back in the freezer for one hour or until hard. Once it’s firm and set, lift the edges of the aluminum foil to release the peppermint bark from the pan and begin to tear the foil away. Inside the pan, begin to break the peppermint bark into chunks…just start at a corner and begin working your way through it all. You don’t want nice precise lines. Peppermint bark is meant to be jagged and uneven, no 2 pieces looking the same.

TIP: Make sure to buy the RIGHT White Chocolate

You MUST buy white chocolate that is made with Cocoa Butter and NOT palm kernal oil or coconut oil. It’s okay for the milk chocolate to have this BUT the white chocolate will NOT bond to the milk chocolate if it has either oil I mentioned. When you begin to break it, the white and milk chocolate won’t stay together and they separate. Sooo…make sure to get white chocolate made with cocoa butter. One brand that I’m aware of, that worked for me was the Ghirardelli White Chocolate Baking Squares.

the chick behind this blog! I'm your ordinary, everyday wife and mom to an incredible pair of stinky guys! I am a self diagnosed coffee addict with a ginormous sweet tooth, preferably baked goods!! My hope is to help you, teach you, and entertain you on your way to a more thrifty and frugal lifestyle! Along the way, you'll find awesome recipes, great tips, and tons of randomness! We have loads of fun, so ya'll come back now, ya hear?!

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