Today’s Best Recipe is Peppermint Bark.
It’s time to put that Pumpkin Spice back on the shelf and greet Peppermint Season.
National Today has officially declared December 1st National Peppermint Bark Day.
For some, this may mark the holiday season kickoff and the beginning of holiday treats!
In a recently conducted nationwide survey, National Today revealed Peppermint Bark is the nation’s favorite holiday treat. It beat out gingerbread and candy canes.
Many of us enjoy Peppermint Bark while decorating Christmas trees.
Why not?
Peppermint Bark has the flavor of the holidays, the crunch, and the seasonality. It’s the perfect combination of flavor and texture in a holiday confection!
The most flavorful Peppermint Bark comes from Williams Sonoma.
As it should be since Chuck Williams, Williams Sonoma’s founder, invented the holiday treat in 1998.
Williams Sonoma wanted to increase their food-gifts selection, and after more than twenty rounds of recipe testing, their top-secret recipe was created.
From start to finish, Williams Sonoma Peppermint Bark is a 24-hour process.
It takes 12 weeks of bark preparation to meet the holiday demand.
More than one million pounds of Guittard chocolate is mixed with 65,000 pounds of peppermint candies for the short-selling season to create the sought-after confection.
The popularity of their iconic Peppermint Bark led to more than 18 different Peppermint Bark flavored products, from cookies to coffee.
Peppermint Bark was introduced in their stores in 1999 and quickly gained popularity.
This holiday confection arrives on Williams Sonoma shelves in the fall and sells out before the arrival of Christmas.
Discover more great Holiday Recipes on our Pinterest Christmas Board.
Ingredients Check List:
12-ounces Guittard semisweet chocolate, chopped in ½-inch pieces. (divided)
1 ½ teaspoons peppermint extract, divided
1 pound Guittard white chocolate, chopped into ½ inch pieces (divided)
12 round hard candy peppermint candies, crushed.
How to Make Peppermint Bark:
- Prepare your pan: line a 13×9-inch baking dish with aluminum foil—do your best to smooth out any wrinkles, so it is a smooth as possible.
- Over low heat, in a medium saucepan, begin heating 1-inch of water until steaming to a slow boil.
- In a large heatproof bowl, add ¾ cup of the semisweet chocolate and place the bowl over the heated water (bowl should NOT touch the water), and begin stirring until one-third of the chocolate is melted; remove the bowl of chocolate from the saucepan of water—leave water on the stove.
- Now, stir in the remaining ¾ cup semisweet chocolate into the mixture, a few pieces at a time, stirring until all chocolate is added and all semisweet chocolate is melted. If chocolate begins to set, return the chocolate over the water saucepan in 5 to 10-second increments to help melt the chocolate. Take your time; allow 10 minutes for all chocolate to melt.
- Using a paper towel or clean dish towel, wipe the moisture from the bottom of the chocolate bowl.
- Add ¾ teaspoon peppermint extract to the chocolate, stir quickly to incorporate, and then immediately pour into the prepared baking dish, spreading to an even layer, corner to corner.
- Once the chocolate is spread, tap the baking dish firmly against the counter to release any air bubbles. Set aside until almost set, about 10 minutes.
- While semisweet chocolate is setting, add all but 1 cup of the white chocolate to a large heatproof bowl and repeat the melting process following steps 2-5.
- Once the white chocolate is melted, stir in ¾ teaspoon peppermint extract, stirring quickly to incorporate, and pour over the semisweet chocolate.
- Immediately sprinkle with crushed candy canes, and using your hands, gently press them into the chocolate.
- Allow chocolate to rest a room temperature until firm, about one hour.
- Lift the aluminum foil edges to remove the bark from the pan and, on a flat surface, break the bark into pieces.
- Store in an airtight container or Zip Top reusable containers for 2 weeks at room temperature.
This recipe pairs nicely with hot chocolate or mocha coffee.
