Chocolate-Dipped Candy Cane Oreos

I recently tried Oreo's Candy Cane flavored cookies and I wasn't too fond of them. To me, they're just a slightly worse version of Girl Scout Thin Mints, with weaker mint flavor. So, in order to satisfy my chocolate + peppermint craving this holiday season, I decided to make my own Candy Cane Oreos. Merry Christmas. You're welcome.

With three ingredients and in less than 30 minutes, I had magical Chocolate-Dipped Candy Cane Oreos. I smothered Double Stuf Oreos (because, duh) in rich dark and white Ghirardelli chocolate melting wafers...

and topped them with hand-crushed, fresh, minty candy canes.

Just place them on a plate next to a glass of cold milk and watch them disappear like $30 Blu-Ray players on Black Friday at Walmart or my patience when someone in front of me is driving 10 below the speed limit.

Pop them into little gift bags, tie them up with a ribbon, and they become a sweet gift for co-workers, family, or friends.

These are everything.

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Chocolate-Dipped Candy Cane Oreos

• 1 package Oreo's, Double Stuf
• 2 bags Ghirardelli chocolate candy melting wafers*
• 6-8 peppermint candy canes, crushed

1. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with aluminum foil.

2. Crush 6-8 candy canes in a Ziploc bag or on a baking pan with a mallet or hammer-like tool, until there are both large and small chunks of candy canes. Set aside.

3. In a large microwave-safe bowl, prepare the Ghirardelli baking wafers according to directions. Microwave on half heat until melted, stirring after every minute.

4. Drop a cookie in the melted chocolate and submerge it slightly. Use a fork or spoon to remove it from the chocolate, and tap it against the side of the bowl to remove excess chocolate. Drag the bottom of the fork against the lip of the bowl to remove any remaining excess chocolate, and place the dipped cookie on the prepared baking sheet.

5. Sprinkle the cookie with the crushed candy cane immediately, while the chocolate is still wet. You can also use sprinkles or small candies, or leave the cookies plain and decorate with white chocolate later. Repeat with remaining chocolate and cookies.

6. Place the cookies in the refrigerator for about 20-30 minutes to set the chocolate.

Decorative Notes: Finely crush 3 or 4 cookies and set them aside to use for additional decoration. Or, melt the opposite color chocolate, place in the corner of a ziploc bag, and cut a very small hole in the corner. Proceed to drizzle it over the cookies for a decorative look.

*You can also melt 9 oz. chocolate chips with 1 1/2 tablespoons solid vegetable shortening.