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| Gingerbread Magic |
Red Rocker Candy brings you the goodness of old-fashioned candies and chocolates, hand-made in small batches in their factory. The candy you've been waiting for all year is back! Peppermint Bark is the essence of the holiday season. Made with rich, dark Belgian chocolate, non-hydrogenated white confection infused with peppermint oil, and crushed peppermints. The flavors combine to make the perfect intense, creamy, sweet peppermint treat. This year we have added Red Rocker Peppermint Bark to our gourmet gift baskets.
Once the holiday season comes around, peppermint is a key ingredient in many recipes. One reason is probably its red and white color, two of the main colors that represent Christmas. Here ae some interesting facts about peppermint. Peppermint currently is a popular flavoring in hard candy, such as round mints and candy canes, fudge, ice cream and gum. Long before its potent taste was added to confections, peppermint oil was used for medicinal purposes.
Peppermint's Origins
While the origin of peppermint candy is unclear, historical accounts show that peppermint oils have been used since ancient times to calm the stomach and for other remedies. Farmers in Europe began commercially growing the plant, which is a natural cross between watermint and spearmint, in the late 1700s.
Peppermint in Candy
It is not exactly when peppermint-flavored candy first appeared. The confection is mentioned by slaves in the Library of Congress’ American Memory project. Smith Kendon developed Altoids in 1780 to relieve intestinal discomfort, and Life Savers introduced its Pep-O-Mint flavor in 1912. In 1927, Eduard Haas, of Vienna, Austria, invented peppermint Pez candy and the original dispenser.
Peppermint Candy LegendsThere are several legends surrounding peppermint candy canes. For example, an account in “Sweet!” by Ann Love and Jane Drake says that in 1670 a German choirmaster gave out sticks of sugar candy to children to keep them quiet.
