Execs at Williams-Sonoma were just trying to build up their food-gifts selection when they started selling peppermint bark in 1999. Little did they know that they’d created a monster: The candy quickly gained a cult following. Fans are known to stake out stores for months until the stuff hits shelves in the fall. (It tends to sell out before Christmas.) And food bloggers have been trying to knock off the recipe for years. Food Network Kitchens gave it a whirl and came up with this near-perfect copy.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 1 hr 45 min |
| Active: | 45 min |
| Yield: | About 2 pounds of bark |
Ingredients
- 12 ounces good-quality semisweet chocolate, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 1/2 teaspoons peppermint extract
- 1 pound good-quality white chocolate, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
- 3 candy canes or 12 round hard peppermint candies, crushed
Instructions
- Line a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with aluminum foil, shiny-side up; smooth out any wrinkles. Heat 1 inch of water in a saucepan over low heat until steaming.
- Put all but 3/4 cup of the semisweet chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Set the bowl over the saucepan of steaming water (do not let the bowl touch the water) and stir until one-third of the chocolate is melted. Remove the bowl from the saucepan; keep the steaming water over low heat. Gradually stir the reserved 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate into the bowl, a few pieces at a time, until all of the chocolate is melted. Return the bowl to the saucepan, 5 to 10 seconds at a time, to help melt the chocolate, if needed. Do not rush this step: It may take up to 10 minutes to melt the chocolate.
- Wipe off any moisture from the bottom of the bowl. Stir 3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract into the chocolate, then quickly pour into the prepared baking dish and spread in an even layer. Firmly tap the dish against the counter to remove any air bubbles. Set aside at room temperature until almost set, about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, put all but 1 cup of the white chocolate in a large heatproof bowl and repeat the melting process over the steaming water; dry off the bottom of the bowl. Stir in the remaining 3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract; pour over the semisweet chocolate and spread in an even layer. Sprinkle immediately with the crushed candy canes, gently pressing them into the white chocolate. Set aside at room temperature until firm, about 1 hour. Lift the bark out of the pan using the foil and break it into pieces. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 14 servings |
| Calories | 302 |
| Total Fat | 18 g |
| Saturated Fat | 11 g |
| Carbohydrates | 36 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 34 g |
| Protein | 3 g |
| Cholesterol | 7 mg |
| Sodium | 32 mg |
Reviews
Bb
These came out perfectly. I used Guittard white chocolate and dark chocolate and the taste was spot on. Easy to make. It took a few hours for the white chocolate to fully set so day 2 was even better.
Kinda, kinda, kinda……Other than that, great video; great recipe
Amazing I loved the layers of chocolate the peppermint is just right
So delicious, and love the layers of chocolate and white chocolate. I made in 15″x10″ pan as some of the reviews said bark was too thick when made in 13″x9″ pan. I did not find the bark to be too thick in15″x10″ pan. I would suggest watching video if you can before making due to the tempering/melting of chocolate step. You have to have patience as it takes some time and stirring to properly get all chocolate melted, can not rush it. I also made sure the chocolates were completely melted before adding peppermint extract, as I found out hard way in past, that chocolate seizes if extract added before completely melted. I got the 2 layers of chocolate, no breakage of the two layers. I think the key to that is when you add the white chocolate, make sure the bottom layer is set and not sticky . Mine sat for 20 min at room temperature before adding the top layer. I let the finished product sit for about 3 hours at room temperature before breaking it into pieces. The melting part is a little extra effort, but end product and taste is worth it.
Easy to make
Exactly like the certain store we love it from. Worth every penny.
Every Christmas we get requests for this – it is absolutely delicious.
Perfect Christmas recipe 🙂
Great and easy to make for the holidays