With Candy Canes and Silver Lanes Aglow

While doing some holiday baking this evening, I learned a few things:

- 1 1/2 cups of crushed candy canes is A LOT of crushed candy canes
- I don't own a rolling pin
- A bottle of barbeque sauce works just as well
- A little red food coloring goes a long way

I was making peppermint fudge - very easy recipe that I found online. Aside from crushing the candy canes, everything was going well and when I finally poured it into the pan, it looked lovely. Wonderful creamy whiteness with chunks of candy cane. I was quite proud of myself.

Then I remembered. The food coloring. I had read of a delightful red "swirl" that one person had done. How hard could that be? I almost stopped - it looked pretty good already. It didn't need a anything else. But ultimately, the though of a perfectly executed swirl was just too exciting to pass up.

Just a drop or two will do, I thought.

My first mistake was pouring it directly from the bottle. The second was not stopping after the first pour.

I knew it was bad. I tried to "swirl" and it got worse - like something out of a low budget horror film. Yes, it looked like my fudge was bleeding. I tried to dab it with a paper towel (which doesn't work by the way), and got it all over my fingers. Then it looked like I was bleeding, and all for nothing. The fudge still looked like an open wound.

So, I plopped it back in the pan and just stirred it all up. So now I have peppermint fudge befitting Strawberry Shortcake. Or the Easter Bunny.

And it tastes darn good.