How to Turn Candy Canes into Peppermint Syrup by Cleo Coyle

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Got candy canes? Then you can make this excellent pink peppermint syrup. It's delicious stirred into hot cocoa, coffee, and tea; drizzled over ice cream, cookies, and cupcakes; and splashed into holiday cocktails.


Cleo Coyle has a partner in
crime-writing—her husband.
Learn about their books
by clicking here and here.

Whether you're new to the Coffeehouse Mystery series or have been reading them since the first book was published (circa 2003), my husband and I extend our sincerest thanks for supporting our work. 

Enjoy the recipe, everyone, and have
a very Merry Christmas and a joyous New Year!


~ Cleo 



You can download this recipe
as a Free PDF by clicking here.

Or see the recipe as a full blog
post by scrolling down 
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How to Turn Candy Canes into Pink
Peppermint Syrup


A recipe from... 



Cleo Coyle's
A Coffeehouse Mystery 


This sweet, potent syrup is delicious licked right off the spoon, but you may want to serve it over ice cream, drizzle it over sugar cookies, stir it into hot chocolate, or use it the way my amateur sleuth (Clare Cosi) does--to make delicious Candy Cane Lattes and Cappuccinos. Here's how to put your own leftover candy canes to good use...

Ingredients:

1 cup water
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
8 large candy canes, broken up

Directions: Pour the water and sugar into a large saucepan. Stir over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved. Add the candy cane pieces to the mix and continue stirring and heating. When the candy canes begin to melt, the mix will turn a milky pink. Keep cooking and stirring until the mixture comes to a boil. Boil and continue stirring for 3–4 minutes, until
 the mixture begins to thicken up. Test it by coating the back of a spoon (see my photos below). Remove from heat. Allow the syrup to cool in the pan before transferring to a storage jar or plastic bottle. To speed up the cooling process, I pop my plastic squeeze bottle into an ice water bath (or the freezer). Unused syrup should be stored in the refrigerator. When chilled, this peppermint syrup will thicken up quite a bit. To re-use, simply put the squeeze bottle or jar of syrup into a warm water bath or microwave for ten seconds. 


F o o d i e 
p h o t o s










Looking for a
Christmas mystery?




If you like Christmas-themed mysteries,
I can suggest two in my Coffeehouse series: In Holiday Buzz, coffeehouse manager Clare Cosi caters a glittering New York holiday party and finds the murdered body of a young baker's assistant, a crime that she vows to solve. In Holiday Grind a kindly sidewalk Santa is slain, and Clare is on the case, not only to find his killer but rekindle the meaning of Christmas.



Both books include fantastic recipe sections with holiday drinks, entrees, cookies, and treats. May you read (and eat) with joy! ~ Cleo



Click here to download
this recipe as a free PDF.


May your holidays 
be delicious! 

~ Cleo Coyle

New York Times bestselling author of
The Coffeehouse Mysteries

Yes, this is me, Cleo (aka Alice). 
Friend me on facebook here.
Follow me on twitter here
Visit my online coffeehouse here.


* * *

Our newest bestselling hardcover
is now a bestseller in paperback!


Join amateur sleuth Clare Cosi

as she sets out to caffeinate
our nation's capital and solve
a capital crime.


To buy now, click links for...





This culinary mystery includes
more than 25 delicious new recipes!
Get a free Recipe Guide by
clicking here!



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The bestselling Penguin hardcover 
is now a bestseller in paperback!



Once Upon a Grind 
by Cleo Coyle

To learn more, 


A Best of the Year Pick ~ Kings River Life 
"Fresh and fun...clever" ~ Booklist
A Mystery Guild Selection 



Join coffeehouse manager Clare Cosi as she solves the crime against "Sleeping Beauty," opens secret doors (uptown and down), and investigates a cold case that's been unsolved since the Cold War.

*

Wonderful recipes are also featured
in Cleo's 14th culinary mystery, Once Upon a Grind including...



* Dairy-Free "Cinderella" Pumpkin Cake
* Dairy-Free Almond Milk Custard
* Caramel-Dipped Meltaway Cookies 
* Black Forest Brownies 
* Cappuccino Blondies 
* Shrimp Kiev
* Dr Pepper Glazed Chicken
* Silver Dollar Chocolate Chip Cookies
* Poor Man's Caviar
* Snow White Chocolate Mocha

...and many more recipes, including 
a guide to reading coffee grinds...

See Once Upon a Grind's 
Recipe Guide by clicking here.



* * *





Billionaire Blend:
A Coffeehouse Mystery
to learn more 
click here.



See Billionaire Blend's
Recipe Guide by
 clicking here.


* * *



The Coffeehouse Mysteries are bestselling
works of amateur sleuth fiction set in a landmark
Greenwich Village coffeehouse, and each of the
15 titles includes the added bonus of recipes. 


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TITLE CHECKLIST 
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 Cleo's next release!




****







Book #1 of
which Cleo write under the name 
Alice Kimberly


Haunted Bookshop 
Mysteries

Get a free title checklist, with 
mini plot summaries, by clicking here.


Or learn more about the books
and meet Jack Shepard,
our PI ghost by clicking here.

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Comments and
Questions!



To leave a comment or 
question for Cleo, click here
and visit the
Coffee Talk Message Board 
at her online coffeehouse.


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