You do not have to go to a high-quality chocolate shop to buy mint bark at an outrageous price when you want to make a Christmas gift. Do it yourself with few ingredients in just one hour! Transform this recipe into a family project and cut the candy canes with the help of the children and sprinkle them on the crust to give them a festive touch.
The companies known to sell them are Williams-Sonoma, Ghirardelli Chocolate Company, and Dove. Although they do not label it as Peppermint Bark, Hershey's also sells Hershey Kisses.
As winter begins, mint becomes a key ingredient for many recipes. It is used in smoothies, tarts and as a compliment for ice cream, but its most popular use is with chocolate and baked goods. My personal hypothesis is that these candies and bars of mint chocolate are relevant, specifically during Christmas, because of their red and white color, two of the main colors that represent these holidays.
No one knows for sure how and who first produced the mint candies. However, its origin goes back more than 350 years ago. Europeans began decorating Christmas trees with sugar candies stuck as decoration as well as cookies. The curved shape represented a shepherd's staff.
The Peppermint Bark is a sweet made of chocolate and crushed mint candies. It is a great gift that can be added to the dessert menu or it can be easily used as a simple gift for someone else. There are different ways to make the Peppermint Bark and there are very simple recipes to make them.
Each bar is made by hand with a mixture made with chocolates, which is impregnated with natural peppermint oil and then a layer of creamy white chocolate cover with pieces of crunchy mint candy.
Now if you insist on making your own mint chocolate bars or Peppermint Bark, the recipe is very simple. What you will need to do is melt semi-bitter chocolate of the brand you prefer in a heat-resistant vessel. Spread the chocolate in a tray of at least a half centimeter, and let cool until it is very hard.
Melt white chocolate and now spread over the bitter chocolate sheet with the same thickness of dark chocolate and before it hardens sprinkle with the mint candies on the white chocolate. Refrigerate until it is hard and ready.
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Chill Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 329 kcal
Ingredients:
1 cup dark chocolate
1 cup white chocolate
1 cup candy canes
Instructions:
Line a large baking sheet with aluminium foil. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave and pour it into the pan. Put in refrigerator to cool for at least half an hour.
Put candy canes in a plastic bag and smash with a rolling pin or in a food processor. Melt in a metal bowl set over a pot of simmering water or in the microwave with white chocolate.
Take out the cooled chocolate. Spread the chopped white chocolate over it. Put in refrigerator to cool. Remove from refrigerator and cut or break into squares, triangles or whatever that may be.
Store in jars.
