Striped Candy Cane White Hot Chocolate

Much like the discovery of penicillin, these pretty mugs of Striped Candy Cane White Hot Chocolate came about entirely by accident. My plan had initially been to make a creamy hot white chocolate flavored with just a bit of peppermint--something like a hot, melted version of uber-popular peppermint bark.

Delicious enough on its own, but when I went to photograph it, I thought the mug needed a little...something.

I crushed up some candy canes and mixed them with a little bit of red sanding sugar, then dipped the rim of the mugs in them (ya know..."margarita style").

I then poured the hot chocolate in and went to go get my camera only to find this magic had happened while I was away! The heat melted the little bits of red dye in the crushed candy canes and drizzled them all along the glass in a beautiful striped pattern.

Convinced it was a fluke, I tried it again only to achieve the same result.

Voila! Just call me, Accidental Martha Stewart!

While delicious and creamy on its own without the striped effect (the crushed candy also adds extra sweet minty flavor), I think this would be a super fun thing for a Christmas season breakfast or child's birthday party.

The effect only lasts for about 20 minutes so if you're going to make it, get the mugs ready and pour the hot chocolate at the table, then let the kids (or kids-at-heart) ooh and aah over the effect while it becomes cool enough to sip. Make sure the hot chocolate reaches the rim of the glass or the effect won't work!

Note: You can do this with crushed candy canes alone, but the effect is more dramatic if you add a bit of red sanding sugar to the mix. I love this sparkly red and gold kind from Williams Sonoma. (Yeah, it's totally overpriced; you can also buy about 72 times as much for just $4 from this website.)

****
New to Always Order Dessert? Consider subscribing to my newsletter, follow me on Twitter, become a fan on Facebook, or sign up to receive my once-a-week e-mail updates by filling in your address in the box on the right. If you're in the NYC area, be sure to check out my NYC dinner party style cooking classes. Thanks for reading!

Striped Candy Cane White Hot Chocolate
Serves 2

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips (I like Guittard)
2 cups whole milk
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon organic peppermint flavor

For the garnish
3 candy canes, finely crushed
2 tablespoons red sanding sugar

2 8oz clear glass mugs or cups

Directions
Combine the chocolate chips, milk, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat. Use a whisk to stir continuously until the chocolate has completely melted and the hot chocolate is thick and smooth. Stir in the peppermint flavor (use more or less according to your taste preference).

To serve: Whisk together the crushed candy canes and red sugar in a small bowl. Gently wet the rim of your glass mug (about 1/4 inch down the top and edges) and then dip into the bowl of crushed candy canes, moving around to coat the entire edge. Repeat with your second mug. Place on the table and gently pour the hot chocolate all the way to the top (IMPORTANT: the chocolate needs to touch the sugared rim for the effect to work).

Let sit and watch as the stripes form down the edge of your glass--it will take about 2-3 minutes to start.

Enjoy!