A Peppermint Serving Tray

I first saw this peppermint plate idea in Southern Living and I loved it!  What a beautiful foundation for a cheesecake or a pie ... or anything, for that matter.  I'd love to deliver a peppermint platter of cookies to someone.

This idea has been pinned on Pinterest and I've seen varying reviews and results.  I think there's a simple trick for success: bake the mints in a pan with edges.  I lined a cake pan with parchment and filled it with mints then baked at 350 degrees for about 8 minutes.  The candies all melted together but since the pan has edges, the peppermint plate didn't spread and become really thin.

I allowed the mints to cool for a few minutes and then lifted the peppermint plate out by the parchment edges.  The peppermint plate is thick enough to carry by itself without fear of breaking and actually isn't very fragile at all.

I let it cool fully and I'll use it to hold a chocolate cheesecake on Christmas Day.

So beautiful and festive.  Wouldn't Jolly Ranchers make a fun serving plate for a kids' party?