If you have leftover candy canes or other red-and-white peppermints, here’s a good use for a cold day:

Crush them and use them as a hot chocolate garnish.

First top the hot chocolate with:

 
You can even add a small scoop of ice cream; just make the hot chocolate extra-hot.
 
 
HOW TO CRUSH PEPPERMINTS

1. PLACE the candies in a resealable plastic bag. Place the bag on a cutting board to protect the countertop.

2. USE the smooth side of a meat mallet to crush the candies to the desired size. No mallet? Use a hammer.

3. TO CREATE a powder, place the crushed pieces in a spice blender.
 
 
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[1] Crush candy canes and garnish your hot chocolate (photo © Bird Bakery | San Antonio).

[2] Crush any red and white stripe peppermints, like these popular “Starlight”-style mints (photo © Jeffrey Collingwood | SXC).