Do-it-yourself peppermint bark is a vacation favourite! This straightforward sweet is made with only a handful of easy elements for a deal with that can make everybody really feel holly and jolly.
For those who’ve ever taken a stroll via Williams-Sonoma in the course of the vacation season, you’ve got most likely been provided a pattern of their well-known peppermint bark.
I like the mixture of peppermint and chocolate and am all the time pleased to stuff my face with this divine vacation deal with. And I’m all the time tempted to purchase a cute container of the stuff, however the value stops me each time.
As I write this, a 1-pound tin of their peppermint bark prices a whopping $29.95. Sure, that’s proper, nearly $30!
I perceive it’s a novelty present and the lovable tin is a part of the worth, however I additionally know that I could make home made peppermint bark for a fraction of the price.
Plus, this recipe truly makes 1 ½ kilos – that’s 50% greater than you’d get in that $30 tin!
What I’m saying is that this straightforward recipe is a must-try this season, okay?
WHAT IS PEPPERMINT BARK?
Unfamiliar with peppermint bark?
Peppermint bark is comprised of a layer of chocolate topped with a layer of white chocolate and completed with crushed peppermint candies or sweet canes.
Technically, you may skip the white chocolate and it’s nonetheless thought-about peppermint bark. However the added white chocolate layer is the most well-liked model and, for my part, the prettiest!
Even with each the white and darkish chocolate layers, this candy deal with will take lower than an hour to make from begin to end.
HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN PEPPERMINT BARK
Do-it-yourself peppermint bark is very easy to make, you’ll positively marvel why you by no means gave it a strive prior to now!
Elements you’ll want
You solely want 4 elements to make your individual peppermint bark:
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips
- White chocolate chips
- Peppermint extract
- Crushed peppermint candies/sweet canes
That’s it! If you have already got peppermint extract readily available, you’ll solely have to get the opposite three elements. (And bear in mind, you should use peppermint extract in different recipes equivalent to peppermint cookies, peppermint brownies, and peppermint ice cream.)
Ensure you purchase peppermint extract, not mint extract, for this recipe. Mint and peppermint are barely totally different flavors, and also you need the peppermint extract to match the crushed sweet canes.
In the course of the vacation season, you may typically discover baggage of pre-crushed peppermint candies on the retailer. If yow will discover these, be happy to make use of them!
If not, you’ll need to crush your individual. I personally suppose mini sweet canes are the simplest to crush – you may crush them as advantageous as you want, however I like having a number of bigger bits combined in.
Making this recipe
Earlier than you get began, line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Set this apart.
Set a glass or steel bowl excessive of a pot of simmering water. Make sure that the underside of the bowl doesn’t contact the water.
Add the semi-sweet chocolate chips to the bowl and stir. When the chocolate chips are nearly utterly melted, take away the bowl from the warmth and stir till the chocolate is clean.
Pour the chocolate onto the ready baking sheet and use an offset spatula to unfold it out into an excellent layer about ⅛-inch thick.
Place the baking sheet within the fridge for about 20 minutes, or till the chocolate is chilly and agency.
In one other bowl, soften the white chocolate chips over the identical pot of simmering water till nearly melted. Take away from the warmth and stir within the peppermint extract till clean.
Let this cool for a few minutes earlier than including it on prime of the chocolate layer – you don’t wish to soften the chocolate layer.
Pour the white chocolate combination over the chocolate layer and unfold to cowl. You’ll need to work shortly!
Instantly sprinkle the highest with the crushed sweet canes and chill till each layers are agency, 10-20 minutes.
To serve, break the bark into irregular items or minimize it into squares with a knife.
STORAGE TIPS
Retailer your home made peppermint bark in a coated container within the fridge. Not solely does this maintain it from melting, nevertheless it provides an additional “cool” chew to the bark once you eat it.
It ought to maintain for at the very least 2 weeks within the fridge.
You may also freeze your peppermint bark. Make sure that the sweet is nicely wrapped in an hermetic container or zip-top freezer bag and freeze for as much as 6 months. I’d suggest thawing it within the fridge to keep away from condensation, which is the enemy of sweet.
USES AND GIFTING IDEAS
Do-it-yourself peppermint bark makes a incredible vacation present!
You possibly can put a full batch of the sweet in a festive tin – Goal, Amazon, and even Greenback Tree have tons of cute choices this time of yr. You may also package deal up smaller parts in cellophane deal with baggage and tie them with ribbon.
Apart from gifting it or including it to your vacation dessert desk alongside peanut brittle, saltine toffee, and buckeyes, you may as well add peppermint bark to different recipes.
Attempt chopping it up and including it to brownies, ice cream, cookies, and even cheesecake. Heck, it will make an lovable addition to a scorching chocolate bar, too!
FAQS
How finely do I have to crush the sweet canes for peppermint bark?
That is actually as much as you. I personally like a mixture of some bigger items with some finely crushed bits for a wide range of crunchiness in my peppermint bark. However you may crush your sweet canes fairly finely in the event you want!
Can I take advantage of mint extract as an alternative of peppermint extract?
Personally, I don’t suggest it.
Mint and peppermint are literally totally different flavors – peppermint is a kind of mint. The “mint” taste we mostly consider is spearmint.
As a result of sweet canes are flavored with peppermint, I like to recommend utilizing peppermint extract as an alternative of mint extract. I don’t actually like the 2 varieties of mint flavors mixed, which is why I counsel staying away from mint extract right here.
Do I’ve to make use of semi-sweet chocolate chips?
I like utilizing semi-sweet chocolate together with the white chocolate and peppermint on this recipe. I feel the three flavors steadiness nicely for a pleasant quantity of sweetness.
If you’d like a sweeter sweet, you might use milk chocolate chips. However, in the event you actually love bitter, darkish chocolate, be happy to make use of darkish chocolate chunks or chips as an alternative.
How thick ought to my chocolate layers be?
Finally, that is as much as you. I wish to make every layer about ⅛-inch thick, so your entire slab of peppermint bark is about ¼-inch thick.
However in order for you thicker sweet items, be happy to make the chocolate layers a bit thicker!
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Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Soften semisweet chips in a bowl set excessive of a pot of simmering water, stirring to soften. Take away from warmth when nearly utterly melted, then stir till clean. Pour onto parchment paper and unfold right into a rectangle of even thickness (about ⅛ inch thick) with an offset spatula or knife. Place in fridge till chilly and agency, about 20 minutes.
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Use one other bowl to soften white chocolate chips over the identical pot of simmering water, till chocolate is nearly melted. Take away bowl from water and stir till utterly melted, stirring in peppermint extract. Let cool a bit bit so it doesn’t soften the chocolate layer once you pour it on prime. Pour this over the chocolate layer and, working shortly, unfold to cowl.
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Sprinkle with crushed sweet canes.
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Chill till each layers are agency. Break bark into irregular items, or minimize with a knife into squares. Retailer chilled in a coated container.
Makes about 1 1/2 kilos.
Serving: 0.125kilos | Energy: 317kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 3g | Fats: 20g | Saturated Fats: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 1g | Monounsaturated Fats: 6g | Trans Fats: 0.02g | Ldl cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 28mg | Potassium: 242mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 23IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 74mg | Iron: 2mg
