Peppermint Bark

We are week away from December, and nothing screams Christmas time more than peppermint bark, don’t you agree? This time of the year, pretty little packages and tins of peppermint bark can be found in just about every home store and grocery. Peppermint is one of those classic holiday flavors that adds the perfect touch to any dessert. However, making it homemade is so much better than buying it from the store, because you can definitely tell the difference in quality and plus it’s made with love!

This peppermint bark makes a great holiday gift and perfect recipe to make with your kids! Get your kids involved and wrap this delicious bark in festive bags to make your gifts more fun and festive! Honestly, if you can melt chocolate then you can make this recipe! This recipe requires 4 simple ingredients, doesn’t require any baking and extremely easy to make! You can easily customize this recipe and adding different toppings of choice! I will be adding more different varieties of bark recipes soon!

Couple things to keep in mind when you are making this recipe. It might be silly for me to mention, but it is so important to use very high-quality chocolate when making any bark recipe! I love Ghirardelli or Guittard chocolate. Also, make sure to overlay the parchment paper hanging over the pan, makes it easier to lift the bark out of the pan. Make sure to add your toppings right away when you add the top layer of chocolate before it hardens. When you are ready to break your bark in desired shape, makes sure to let it sit out in room temperature for 5-10 minutes prior breaking. You can store this bark in air tight container for 2 weeks on the counter and for 3 weeks in refrigerator and up to 2 months in freezer!

Serves 8

[Per serving Calories 120, Carbs 20g, Fat 4g, Protein 1g]

Ingredients

12 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped

1 oz semisweet chocolate, crushed

12 oz white chocolate, chopped

½ tsp peppermint extract (optional)

8 candy canes, crushed

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Method

Line a 9×13 inch baking pan with parchment paper. Place the candy canes in a zip lock bag and crush with rolling pin or n a food process.

Melt the dark chocolate in a microwave safe bowl or over a double broiler. Once melted, add in peppermint extract. Stir until smooth and then pour into pan. Tap the dish against the counter to remove any air bubbles. Set aside or pop in refrigerator for 5-8 minutes to set, not harden.  

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Melt the white chocolate in microwave safe bowl or over a double broiler. Keep stirring until smooth and then pour white chocolate mixture over the dark chocolate. Use an offset spatula to easily spread the chocolate into a thin even layer. Tap the dish against the counter to remove any excess bubbles. Then immediately sprinkle the crushed candy canes and crushed semisweet chocolate over top. Gently press them into the white chocolate. Set aside until chocolate has firmed up. This process takes anywhere between 20-30 minutes in the refrigerator and if you let it set in room temperature outside then it could take approximately 30-45 minutes. Once set, left bark out of pan and break or cut into pieces / shapes. Store in an airtight container.  

Notes – If you are melting chocolate in microwave than make sure to put it in glass bowl and microwave for only 20 second increments. Avoid overheating the chocolate to retain its smooth velvety texture. Keep stirring until smooth. If you are melting your chocolate in a double broiler than simply boil the water and place heat proof pan over top with chocolate and keep stirring until melted.