Candy Cane Iced Tea

I don't know about you, but every year the kids make me buy a box of peppermint candy canes for our Christmas tree.  However, they NEVER eat them and I always wind up throwing them away. I was curious to see how and when candy canes first came about and this is what I found on Wikipedia. I thought it was pretty interesting actually.

According to a popular account, in 1670, in Cologne, Germany, the choirmaster at Cologne Cathedral, wishing to remedy the noise caused by children in his church during the Living Crèche tradition of Christmas Eve, asked a local candy maker for some sweet sticks for them. In order to justify the practice of giving candy to children during worship services, he asked the candy maker to add a crook to the top of each stick, which would help children remember the shepherds who paid visit to infant Jesus. In addition, he used the white colour of the converted sticks to teach children about the Christian belief in the sinless life of Jesus. From Germany, the candy canes spread to other parts of Europe, where they were handed out during plays reenacting the Nativity. A recipe for straight peppermint candy sticks, white with colored stripes, was published in 1844. The candy cane has been mentioned in literature since 1866, was first mentioned in association with Christmas in 1874, and as early as 1882 was hung on Christmas trees. Chicago confectioners the Bunte Brothers filed the earliest patents for candy cane making machines in the early 1920s.

So this year, I decided I was going to try to make something with them.  Since candy canes are simply sugar and peppermint, I decided to make some iced tea instead of making another dessert (I think we've all had our fill of that for a while!). This tea was light and refreshing.

Candy Cane Iced Tea
Candy Cane Simple Syrup
1 c. Water
1 c. Granulated Sugar
4 Peppermint Candy Canes

Add ingredients to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer. Continue to stir until the sugar and candy canes have dissolved. 

Tea
10 c. Boiling Water
4 Tea Bags (I just used Lipton®

Add the water and tea bags to a 3 quart pitcher. Let steep. Then add the simple syrup and mix well.  Keep refrigerated and serve over ice. 

Enjoy!

Linked the recipe to Lady Behind the Curtain  Cast Party Wednesday and Newlyweds Blog Linky