A great homemade gift idea, this peppermint bark recipe is ridiculously easy to make. Just don't leave it out too long or the Christmas elves might eat it all.
Ingredients:
- 350g good-quality semisweet chocolate, chopped
- 1 ½ teaspoons peppermint extract
- 450g good-quality white chocolate, chopped
- 3 candy canes, crushed
Method:
- Line the bottom and sides of a 9-by-13 inch baking tray with aluminum foil or baking paper and smooth out any creases.
- In a saucepan add 1 inch of water and set on a low heat until the water is steaming.
- Add ⅔ of the semisweet chocolate to the bowl and place over the saucepan. Once it is mostly melted, stir gently until the chocolate is completely melted.
- Take the bowl off the heat and stir in the remaining semisweet chocolate. This is called seeding the chocolate, which you can read about here.
- Stir ¾ teaspoon peppermint extract into the melted chocolate and then quickly pour into the baking tray. Smooth into an even layer and tap against the counter to remove any air bubbles. Leave to cool for 10minutes at room temperature. You don't want this layer to cool completely as it may separate from the white layer when you cut the bark into pieces.
- While the semisweet layer is cooling melt the white chocolate in the same manner as above. Add the remaining ¾ teaspoon of peppermint extract and pour over the semisweet chocolate in an even layer.
- Crush the candy canes and press them into the white chocolate. Allow to cool to room temperature before breaking or cutting into pieces. Keeps for two weeks at room temperature or store in the freezer ready to give as gifts.