Peppermint Bark
Two clean layers of chocolate, dark below and white above, covered in crushed candy canes. It breaks into shards, keeps for weeks, and disappears from every tin it is put in.
The whole recipe in 60 seconds
Peppermint Bark, in 5 ideas
- The layers must meet at the right moment. Pour the white chocolate over dark chocolate that is set but not cold, and the two bond into one clean snap instead of separating.
- White chocolate burns and seizes easily. Melt it gently, off the boil, and keep every drop of water away from the bowl.
- A whisper of peppermint extract goes in the white layer only. The candy on top does most of the talking; the extract just carries the scent.
- Crush the candy canes to rubble, not dust. Pea-sized pieces give the crunch; the fine dust melts into pink streaks.
- Break it, never cut it. Rough shards with uneven edges are the look, and a knife only drags the layers apart.
What you need
Ingredients
- 12 oz dark chocolate (60 to 70%), chopped
- 12 oz white chocolate, chopped
- 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
- 6 candy canes, crushed
- Pinch of salt
How to make it
Method
Line a rimmed baking sheet (about 9 by 13 inches) with parchment. Put the candy canes in a sturdy bag and crush with a rolling pin into small pieces and rubble; pick out any big chunks and crush again.
Melt the dark chocolate in a bowl set over barely simmering water, stirring until smooth, or microwave in 30 second bursts. Stir in the salt, pour onto the parchment, and spread into an even rectangle about 1/4 inch thick. Refrigerate for about 10 minutes, until just set and no longer shiny wet, but not fully hard and cold.
Melt the white chocolate the same way, gently, and stir in the peppermint extract. Let it cool for 2 minutes so it does not melt the layer below, then pour it over the dark chocolate and spread to the edges with an offset spatula, working quickly.
Scatter the crushed candy canes evenly over the wet white chocolate and press down very lightly with your palm so the pieces stick.
Refrigerate for about 1 hour, until completely firm all the way through.
Lift the slab out on the parchment and break it into rough shards with your hands. Store in a tin at cool room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
If the layers separate when you break the slab, the dark chocolate was too cold before the white went on. Next time catch it sooner; this time, serve the pieces anyway, they taste exactly the same.