PEPPERMINT!! that's the best thing about holiday junk food. i suppose there's nothing keeping me from eating minty foods all year long, but it just seems so seasonally appropriate. for what it's worth, i also find it somewhat more difficult to find peppermint oil/peppermint extract at other times of the year--and even when i spotted it on the shelf at albertsons the other day, it was absurdly expensive. oh well.

the point of this post is to toot my own horn. :) i made a peppermint bark cheesecake over the weekend and brought it to share. i was initially unsure if peppermint and cheesecake would work together, but i figured it was worth a shot. the crust was made from Trader Joe's Peppermint Joe-Joes. i left the cheesecake base unflavored, but added a swirl of peppermint goo (just water, sugar, peppermint oil and food coloring) and of course chunks of my own homemade peppermint bark.

based on the reaction, i'd say this was a success. everyone at work WOLFED it down, and my bf seemed to like it too. :) definitely one to add to the repertoire... see a pic here:

i swear i had no intention of participating in Black friday activities this year. however, i was coerced into a "MIDNIGHT MADNESS" sale by my bf and his roomie. first off, let me just say i was shocked--SHOCKED--at the number of people willing to head out at midnight on Thanksgiving to save a few bucks. but there we were, too, so i can't complain too vociferously (what a word!) ...but this blog is about candy, so candy it shall be.

to be honest, i've never been a huge harry&david fan. i've always thought their products were decent, just way overpriced for what amounts to giftbasket filler. but h&d was offering 25% off their entire inventory on black friday, so i had extra incentive to sample their wares...

first i picked up a box of peppermint moose munch. for those of you who don't know, moose munch is one of h&d's premiere products, a mix of caramel corn and nuts, drizzled (or dipped) in chocolate. fortunately for me, the peppermint moose munch is entirely coated in a thick layer of dark-ish chocolate, then tossed with bits of candy cane and a red "confection" drizzle. IT IS DELICIOUS and seriously addicting. i could easily eat the entire 20oz box in one sitting, even though it would most certainly leave me on my deathbed.



i also perused their new (?) selection of flavored malted milk balls. i know i've seen a review of these somewhere before, but they were not h&d branded at the time. i picked up a box of the "coffee trio," as well as "banana split." both versions feature a rather small malted milk ball core, surrounded by a thick layer of chocolate and/or flavored coating. these are also totally yummy, especially for those of us who grew up on Whoppers (the candy, not the burger). i think they're a bit pricey at about $15/lb, but where else are you going to find banana split-flavored malt balls?