Celebrating the holidays with friends and family can easily be made even more enjoyable with some of C Magazine’s favorite peppermint recipes. They are a blast to make and will light up any winter table. Take shelter from the judge-MINT of your extended family during the holidays by eating the pain away with these delicious seasonal treats! Make sure to look out for our tips in blue so that your dessert endeavours go off without a hitch!

Peppermint Bark

ingredients:

1 bag milk chocolate Hershey Kisses, unwrapped[Really, unwrap them beforehand. This takes a lot longer than you would think.]

1 cup chocolate chips

1 bag candy cane Hershey Kisses, unwrapped [CVS and Walgreens rarely pull through for these, buy them off Amazon beforehand!]

1 cup white chocolate chips

2 cups crushed Oreos

Two 14-ounce cans sweetened condensed milk

directions:

1. Set aside a 9×13 baking dish, lined with parchment paper and sprayed lightly with non-stick cooking spray.

2. In a medium saucepan, combine the milk chocolate Hershey’s kisses, chocolate chips and one can of sweetened condensed milk.

3. Stir over low heat until melted and smooth, then fold the crushed Oreos into the chocolate mixture. [Don’t be lazy — keep stirring it or the chocolate will burn!]

4. Pour chocolate mixture into prepared 9×13 dish. Rinse out sauce-pan.

6. Add the candy cane Kisses, white chocolate chips and can of sweetened condensed milk to the saucepan.

7. Stir over low heat until smooth and completely melted.

8. Pour the white chocolate mixture over the chocolate Oreo mixture, and spread evenly.

9. Sprinkle the remaining Oreo crumbs over the top, and refrigerate overnight to set. Cut and serve! [Make sure you don’t leave it in the fridge for too long, otherwise it will be hard to cut.]

Peppermint Oreo Fudge

ingredients:

20 ounces white chocolate, coarsely chopped

30 peppermint candies, crushed and divided

10 ounces dark chocolate, coarsely chopped

6 tablespoons heavy cream

1 teaspoon peppermint extract

directions:

1. Line a 9×12 inch baking pan with parchment paper.

2. Melt half of the white chocolate in the top of a double boiler [If you don’t have one, place a bowl on top of a saucepan with boiling water.] Stir frequently. 3. Spread the white chocolate onto the prepared pan. Sprinkle 1/4 of the crushed peppermints evenly over white chocolate. Chill until firm. [This usually takes around 10 minutes!]

4. Melt the dark chocolate, heavy cream and peppermint extract together in the same double boiler. Stir frequently, until melted. Quickly pour the dark chocolate layer over the chilled white chocolate and spread evenly. Chill until firm.

5. Melt the remaining white chocolate in the same double boiler. Stir frequently, until just melted. Spread quickly over the chilled bark. Sprinkle with the remaining peppermint pieces; chill until firm, about 20 minutes. Cut or break into small pieces to serve. [The peppermint pieces can be sharp, so be careful if you’re breaking pieces with your hands.]