Sunday, November 20, 2011

Pig Alert! Peppermint Pigs

Hey everyone! Have you heard of Peppermint Pigs for Christmas? The first Peppermint Pig was made over a century ago to symbolize the Victorian belief that the pig is a good luck charm.

I saw this little candy 3D pig that comes in a velvet pouch at Plow and Hearth and while it's cute,
it is expensive.

So I made my own version. It only takes candy canes, a pig shaped cookie cutter and some time!

Crush the candy canes and pour them inside the oiled cookie cutter, bake until it melts together.

Package it in a goodie bag (from AC Moore/Michaels, etc.) and tie it closed with ribbon.
 Add a fun tag that says:
"The pig is honored in Victorian holiday tradition as a symbol of good health, happiness and prosperity. After your holiday meal, crack the candy with a hammer and share with family and friends."
It's a cute, different gift and the kids (big and small) will have fun breaking it up!

Directions:
  1. Simply break up the candy cane into small pieces (approximately 1/4-1/2" pieces, and add the "dust" too). I used six candy canes for my 5" x 2 1/2" cutter. You could use more if you'd like. *Update: I unwrapped them and added them to a l gallon zip lock bag, 9 whacks down the candy cane on a steady surface is all it takes for perfectly broken pieces.
  2. Lightly oil the inside of the cookie cutter and place on a cookie sheet that's been lined with either parchment paper, Reynolds Release or a silicone liner. 
  3. Pour the crushed candy into it pushing to fill any small spaces like legs, etc.
  4. Bake at 325 degrees for about 10 minutes. You'll need to watch it, as soon as the candy begins to melt together but you can still see the red lines in it, it's ready to come out of the oven. 
  5. Let it cool completely in the cookie cutter. Gently pull the sides of the cutter away from the candy and store it in a plastic bag.
Notes:
  • Ok, I know you're wondering... where exactly does one find a pig cookie cutter... There is a great store on-line called Foose, you can get just about any cutter you want! Amazon has some and my son also gave me one he found at Sur La Table.
  • I put some vegetable oil on the tip of my finger and rub it on the inside of the cookie cutter.
  • Leave the candy canes in the plastic wrapper and break them with the handle of a butter knife or a hammer. Then you can pour the candy into the cookie cutter. Please do not use your food processor, it will just dull the blades. 
  • Melt the candy until you get a look you like. If you melt them further they'll get smooth and turn a pinkish color. 
  • If you know of a pig collector (as Susan mentioned her SIL), leave the candy in the cookie cutter and wrap it like that. Then she has the candy pig and the cookie cutter! 
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