Introduction: Chocolate Peppermint Bark
Peppermint bark makes a great holiday recipe. Dark or semi-sweet chocolate, white chocolate, and crushed peppermint candies. What could be easier, or tastier?
It's also a perfect homemade holiday gift, and much cheaper when you make it yourself.
Step 1: Gather Tools and Ingredients
You'll need:
peppermint1 candy (Candy canes, sticks, whatever you can find that's cheap and tasty.)
1 pound chocolate (dark, semi-sweet, or milk)
1/2 pound white chocolate
waxed paper
glass bowl
heat-proof spatula
food processor, blender, mortar and pestle, or bag and heavy whacking object
2 glass or metal pans, 9"x11" or larger
1Note that it doesn't have to be peppermint- this recipe works equally well with any hard candy, so peppermint haters should feel free to substitute spearmint, cinnamon, or fruit candies as taste and availability dictate.
Step 2: Prep Pans
Line your pans with waxed paper.
It should curl up to protect the sides, too. Crease the corners so it behaves.
Step 3: Crunch Peppermint Candies
Crunch up your peppermint (or other favorite) candies into small bits.
I used a food processor, but you could use a blender, a plastic bag and heavy whacking object, or even a mortar and pestle.
Whir or whack away, making sure to break down all of those big pieces into small-enough chunks. You can dump out the small bits then re-process the big ones until they're useful.
Mechanical means will likely produce a fine powder as well (we call this "weaponized"1 peppermint), which you'll want to separate from the small chunks by means of a sieve. It's too fine to sprinkle on top, but is great for adding directly into the chocolate for extra pepperminty flavor.
1 Do not inhale powder. It burns the mucous membranes. And no, it's not anthrax.
Step 4: Melt Chocolate
Chop your chocolate (the dark stuff) into smaller chunks, and add to a dry1 microwaveable bowl.
Microwave in 15-sec bursts, stirring between. Total time will vary depending on quantity of chocolate and microwave strength, but it's still only a couple of minutes.
Optional: stir in bits of weaponized peppermint for extra kick.
1Water interferes with proper chocolate-melting, so keep it out of your bowl!
Step 5: Pour
Pour your smooth, melted chocolate into the waxed paper-lined pans. Use the heat-proof spatula to spread it evenly about the pans.
You want it to be about 1/4" thick. Much thinner and it will crack; much thicker and it won't be bark.
Step 6: Melt and Add White Chocolate
Chop the white chocolate into meltable chunks, add to a dry microwavable bowl, and microwave in 15-sec bursts, stirring between. (Yup, same as the regular chocolate.)
Optional: stir in a couple of scoops of peppermint candy powder for added pepperminty flavor.
When the dark chocolate layer has thickened but is still a bit tacky to the touch, gently pour in the white chocolate, then smooth it out with a heat-proof spatula.
(If the dark chocolate has set too far the layers may delaminate (separate) during cutting, but if it's still soupy you might accidentally mix the layers.)
Try to pour it over in a smooth layer to minimize the amount of necessary spatulation. You don't want to disturb the dark chocolate layer- just skim the white chocolate over top of it.
Step 7: Sprinkle With Candy
As soon as possible, sprinkle your crushed bits of peppermint candy over the still-soft white chocolate.
Press large pieces down a bit to make sure they stick.
Set aside in a cool, safe place to allow chocolate to solidify.
Step 8: Chop, Serve, and Store
Remove the entire chocolate brick in its waxed paper wrapper from the pan, and set it on a cutting board. Gently peel off the waxed paper.
Use a large, thin, sharp knife to cut the block of chocolate into squares, or use your hands to break it into manageable chunks.
Pile on a plate to serve, then store leftovers (if you've got any!) in an airtight plastic container.
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114 Comments
7 years ago
Mmm yummy!
9 years ago
I made variations with Reese base and dark choc with caramel apple and spearmint canes. Sour cherry Gummie candy with Gummie bears and regular dual layer with multiple candy canes of blueberry, peppermint and a variety, all from the dollar store. You'll be a hero for a day.
9 years ago
Nice
9 years ago
Yum
12 years ago on Introduction
mmm looks good make me some :D
Reply 10 years ago on Introduction
love the screammo
13 years ago on Step 8
Can anything be substituted for the white chocolate?? Otherwise, these look delicious. ;)
Reply 11 years ago on Step 8
Almond bark ... it's less natural than white chocolate, but it's whiter in color.
Reply 13 years ago on Introduction
You can substitute any type of chocolate. I use white chocolate because it's the classic choice for chocolate peppermint bark, and it's a good neutral match in color and flavor vs. the stronger peppermint.
11 years ago on Introduction
Yummy yummy nom noms!
12 years ago on Introduction
would i be able to eat this with braces i have had some before but i had a verysmall peice and want to know if i can eat it with braces (seeing hows i got them on 2 days ago!)
Reply 11 years ago on Introduction
This reply is tardy... but I wore braces when I was a teenager and the one tool I couldn't live without was a water pik. I loved how it cleaned every nook and cranny a toothbrush couldn't.
Hope this helps!
Reply 12 years ago on Introduction
yo should be able to. i dont personaly know becu=ause i ate everything when i had braces. but with this choc easily melts and the only thing would be getting a bit of candy cane stuck in the brace but this to melts after a bit in ur mouth. so id say go 4 it!
12 years ago on Introduction
looks really good!! Yummy!! :D
12 years ago on Introduction
This stuff is awesome and easy! This will be my third year using this recipe, and all my friends start requesting it in November. :)
12 years ago on Introduction
Mmmmm, looks amazing and delicious!
14 years ago on Introduction
Following your recipe and making this stuff now. It's so freaking easy! My only dilemma is that I have way too many peppermint pieces/dust left over. I guess I'm making peppermint sugar cookies as well!!
Reply 13 years ago on Introduction
I had the same problem - extra peppermint keeps well, though, so I used it the next year. ;)
Post your recipe for peppermint cookies! I haven't found a good sugar cookie recipe yet.
Reply 13 years ago on Introduction
Stirring extra peppermint shavings into a nice hot chocolate makes a delectable mint hot chocolate!
Reply 12 years ago on Introduction
Mmmmm! My favorite kind.