How to Make Peppermint Bark

Peppermint bark is a tasty holiday treat composed of peppermint and two kinds of chocolate. It looks festive and is also very easy to make. Follow these steps to impress your guests with your own homemade peppermint bark.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• 11-by-17-inch baking sheet
• Spatula
• 12-ounce bag of bittersweet chocolate
• Peppermint extract
• Aluminum foil
• Crushed candy canes
• Wooden spoon
• 12-ounce bag of white chocolate
• Double boiler

1. Line a 11-by-17-inch baking sheet with foil.
2. Crush some candy canes. You'll need about 1/2 cup of crushed candy canes.
3. Melt a 12-ounce bag of bittersweet chocolate in a double boiler, stirring constantly.
4. Spread the melted bittersweet chocolate on the baking sheet and allow it to cool until set. This should take about an hour.
5. Melt a 12-ounce bag of white chocolate over a double boiler, stirring constantly.
6. Stir in 1/2 tsp. of peppermint extract when the white chocolate is melted.
7. Spread the white chocolate over the cooled bittersweet chocolate. Completely cover the bittersweet chocolate.
8. Sprinkle the crushed candy canes over the white chocolate. Do this before it sets.
9. Break the peppermint bark up into pieces after it sets.

Tips & Warnings

• You can crush the candy canes in a food processor or blender. You could also chop them with a knife.
• You also can make this treat with just bittersweet chocolate or just white chocolate. You'd need two bags and could melt the chocolate all at once.
• You can stir the crushed candy canes into the white chocolate after it melts.
• If you don't have a double boiler, improvise by putting a metal bowl in a pot of simmering water.
• You can shorten the time it takes the chocolate to set by putting it in the refrigerator.
• Use the peppermint extract sparingly. The taste can be overpowering.