Yummy Treats with Christmas Leftovers (Candy Canes and Egg Nog)

So if you hit up the after Christmas sales, you may find plenty of candy canes, candy cane pudding and egg nog at clearance prices or atleast I did!  (or you can always just pin this for next years Christmas Treats!)  I thought it a good time to try out a few recipes and experiment with a few as well. 
I snagged a container of egg nog, 2 boxes of candy cane pudding, and 2 boxes of Hershey's chocolate mint candy canes (but really any minty candy canes would work)– and here are my results (with a few more ingredients added, of course).

This is the first I have ever seen candy cane pudding, the first I heard of it was in a pinterest pin I saw for candy cane chocolate chip cookies, which is what I based my recipe off of for the cookies I made.  The original recipe is pinned here…mine does not vary a whole lot.

The very first step was to unwrap all those candy canes (so tedious) and break them into tiny pieces, I used the dry canister for my vitamix mixer.

Chocolate Chip Candy Cane Cookies

Recipe1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 pkg instant candy cane pudding mix
2 1/4cups flour
1t baking soda
2 eggs
1t vanilla
1/4t salt
about 1/2c crushed candy canes (I used the Hershey choc mint ones)
1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:  Preheat oven to 375.  Combine flour, salt and baking soda in small bowl and set aside.  In a larger bowl, cream butter and sugars, beat in pudding mix until blended.  Add eggs and vanilla and mix well.  Gradually add in the flour mixture and mix to combine.  Stir in candy pieces and chocolate chips.
Place teaspoon sized balls onto cookie sheet (I use a baking stone, or use a regular sheet with parchment to avoid candy from sticking, I also use the Pampered Chef Small Scoop to make the perfect size cookie!)  Bake for 8-10mins.  Let cookies cool for 5mins on sheet and then move to cooling rack. 

Chocolate Mint Candy Cane Cake(the original recipe I based this cake off of can be found HERE)

Recipe1 pkg Chocolate Cake Mix (I used Betty Crocker Devils Food)
1 pkg Candy Cane instant pudding
4 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/2 c vegetable oil
1/2 c water
1/2 c chocolate chips
about 1 c chopped candy canes (again I used the Hershey chocolate mint canes), divided.
1 container white vanilla icing
1/4 – 1/2 t peppermint extract (according to your own taste)

Preheat oven to 350, lightly grease 2 round cake pans.
In a large bowl, combine cake mix, dry pudding mix, eggs, sour cream, oil and water; beat with electric mixer on low speed just until moistened, scraping side of bowl.  Beat on medium speed 2 minutes.
Stir in chocolate chips and 2 T crushed candy cane.
Spoon into prepared pans.
Bake for ~40min or until wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean.  Cool in pan 10mins on wire rack, then remove from pan to cool completely (still on wire rack).
In the mean time mix in 1/4t – 1/2t of peppermint extract into white frosting
After cake is cooled, ice bottom layer and place about 1/4 c of crushed candy canes to top.  Top with 2nd layer, ice completely and coat in the remaining candy cane pieces.

Egg Nog Pound Cake (Quick Bread) with Egg Nog Glaze Icing

This recipe can be found HERE, I found it slightly dry and in the future may add a pack of vanilla pudding, but otherwise VERY YUMMY!