DIY: Black & White Peppermint Bark

Although (I must admit), I’ve taken a bit of a break from the kitchen the past few days after finishing up my last day at the bakery before the New Year, I have done a bit of baking and cooking here and there.  Holidays are always hectic, especially in my family, so it’s nice to have a simple go-to recipe or DIY gift on hand for a family get-together.  It involves absolutely no baking and you’ll be sure to impress all your family and friends.

Peppermint Bark has become quite the fad over the past few years and most supermarkets sell their own version in nice holiday tins for quite a hefty price.  However, with some patience and simple ingredients, you can make your own DIY version at home for half the price.  Here’s what to do:

What You’ll Need:

• 11 oz. bag good-quality white chocolate chips
• 11 oz. bag semisweet chocolate chips
• box of candy canes
• canola oil

Equipment:

• Heatproof bowl
• Saucepan
• Cookie Sheet
• Aluminum Foil

Directions:

1. Using a saucepan (filled with about an inch or inch-and-a-half of water) and a heatproof bowl, create a double broiler. Bring water to a slow simmer.
2. Pour a bag of semisweet (or white—depending on what layer you want at the bottom of your peppermint bark) in the heatproof bowl.  Add a teaspoon of canola oil.  Stir with a spatula until the chocolate melts completely. 
3. Meanwhile, crab a cookie sheet and cover with aluminum foil.  You can either create free form peppermint bark or use your favorite cookie cutters or molds (a bit more complicated, but it works!).  Pour the chocolate on the cookie sheet (or into the molds) until it is 1/4 inch thick, spreading out as needed.
4. Place in refrigerator and let cool for 30 minutes until hard.  Meanwhile, unwrap candy canes and place in a freezer bag.  Using a rolling pin or mallet, crush into small pieces.
5. Repeat with the remaining white/semisweet chocolate.  Remove the cookie sheet from the refrigerator and pour the second layer of chocolate over the first layer, spreading out until 1/4 inch thick.  Immediately sprinkle the candy cane uniformly over the chocolate.
6. Place in refrigerator and let cool for 30 minutes.  Remove and cut into pieces.  If using a mold or cookie cutters, use a sharp nice to poke around the edges of mold.  Push gently with your fingers until the peppermint bark separates.
7. Place into a holiday cookie tin and give as a gift or as a special treat for your family to munch on throughout the holidays. 

           

Your friends and family will love it!  Be sure to grab a piece for yourself too.  After all, you did all the “hard” work  

Happy Holidays to You All!

I wish everyone a relaxing, safe, and wonderful break.

Comments

[Caroline]

I love peppermint bark! It's my favorite holiday treat and makes for great gifts. I'm guessing it tastes amazing with the Ghirardelli chocolate you used! Yumm :)

[Amy at TheSceneFromMe]

Ohhhhh, this looks delicious! Did my package get lost in the mail? Joking. What a cute gift to put in a tin and give!
Happy New Years!

[Sana]

I made my own peppermint bark this holiday seasons for the first time and it was amazing! I love how cute yours turned out!
Have a lovely new year!

[Monique]

ADORABLE!!! I made peppermint bark last year and absolutely loved it! It's my favorite holiday treat :)

[Joslyn @ missfitbliss]

Oh my goodness this looks phenomenal!!

[Laura]

Hehe, thanks! You too, hope your holidays were safe and wonderful.

xo Laura

[Laura]

It's fun and pretty simple! Hope you had a great New Years.

xo Laura

[Laura]

Thanks ;) It's one of mine too, and it's even more fun to make it from scratch and hand out to friends. Hope you had a great New Years!

[Laura]

Wow, thanks Joslyn! I need to get back into the kitchen, its been a while. But it was nice taking a break and enjoying some warmer weather. Hope you had a lovely time over the holidays!

xo Laura

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[Dina]

so cute! i love the shapes!

[Laura]

Thanks Dina! I've heard of some people using silicone molds, which might be a lot easier than using cookie cutters. You definitely have to grease it well, so that it can get removed, but I think the shape makes it a bit more fun. Thanks for visiting!