Chocolate Peppermint Heaven

Candy canes are a highlight of the holiday season, and chocolate is the highlight of life, so why not put these two together in a delicious holiday creation? Below is a simple recipe for one of my favorite holiday treats: Peppermint Bark.

By Ali

It is tasty enough to eat all year round, yet easy enough to whip up for tonight’s family dinner. So, get to it!

What you’ll need:

-Candy canes

-White chocolate (many specialty stores and grocery stores will carry chocolate in large chunks. If not, chips work fine. I prefer to use Godiva chocolate…cuz I’m a baller.)

-Milk chocolate

-A double boiler (this is because when melted in a regular pan, chocolate will burn. If you don’t have a double boiler, fill one pan with water to boil and rest an equal-sized pan on top to put the chocolate in.)

-Freezer paper or regular wax paper

-Cookie Sheet

Get Cooking:

1. Cover the cookie sheet with the freezer paper, taping down the sides.

2. Melt the milk chocolate in the double boiler. If you have large chocolate chunks, break them up a little first.

3. Stir the chocolate while it melts to keep from sticking; when it is nice and smooth use a spatula to spread it over the covered cookie sheet

4. While the chocolate is cooling, place the unwrapped candy canes in a Ziploc bag and crush them into tiny pieces. Side-note: you’ll find smashing the candy-canes to be a pretty good release of holiday shopping stress

5. Next, clean the pot and melt the white chocolate in the same way you melted the milk chocolate. When the milk chocolate has begun to harden (this can be sped up by putting the cookie sheet into a fridge first) it is safe to spread the white chocolate on top.

6. While the white chocolate is still warm, sprinkle the candy cane bits and press down lightly to make sure they stay in the chocolate

7. Freeze the cookie sheet until the bark is hard and easy to break into pieces.

8. Break up and enjoy the deliciousness of peppermint bark!

Bonus: Not only is Peppermint Bark the best winter indulgence, but it also makes a great (cheap, easy, thoughtful) gift when arranged in a cute holiday tin or bag…that is, if you have any left.

Still haven’t gotten your peppermint-chocolate fill? Enjoy your bark with hot chocolate spiked with Ice 101 Schnapps or a Chocolate Peppermintini with this Stirrings cocktail mix!