Thursday 27 August 2015

Make White Chocolate Peppermint Bark

White chocolate peppermint bark is a holiday candy that is so easy to make that you will be amazed. This is a recipe that you can make with the "help" of small children. It makes the perfect sweet offering at a holiday buffet or you can give it away in a box or tin for a really inexpensive delicious gift. Add this to my Recipe Box.


Instructions


1. White chocolate peppermint bark starts with a prepared baking dish. If yours is clay or stoneware, place it in the freezer for about an hour. If it is glass or metal, lightly spray it with shortening. Then set the dish aside.


2. Wrap a clean hammer in a clean cotton dish towel and bind it to the handle using a rubber band. Unwrap the candy cane or peppermint candies and throw away the wrappers. Place the unwrapped candy into a zippered plastic bag. Remove as much air from the bag as possible and leave the bag mostly zipped shut. Place this bag on top of the cutting board.


3. Bang the cotton-covered hammer against the bag of candy until the candy is shattered into very small pieces, about 1/8 to 1/4 inches long each.


4. Cut the chocolate or grate it into chunks that are no larger than 1 inch squares. Melt the chocolate in the top pot of a double boiler. Make sure that the water in the bottom pot is boiling. Stir constantly until the chocolate is evenly melted. Then allow the melted chocolate to cool until it is just a bit warmer than lukewarm but before it begins to set up.


5. Pour the candy pieces into the lukewarm chocolate and stir gently until the candy is spread evenly through the chocolate. Pour the mixture into the baking dish and allow it to solidify. It should be about 1/4-inch deep throughout.


6. When the white chocolate peppermint bark is solid, the edges should slightly pull away from the sides of the baking dish. Turn the candy out of the dish onto a clean surface or cutting board. If the candy does not easily come out of the pan, place it in a refrigerator for up to 30 minutes. Then try again. You may also need to run a sharp knife around the edge of the candy to separate it fully from the edge of the pan. Score and then cut the candy using a sharp paring knife into rectangular pieces about 1 inch long by 2 inches wide each.


7. Store the white chocolate peppermint bark in airtight containers or zip-closing plastic bags until you are ready to serve or gift wrap it.

Tags: baking dish, chocolate peppermint bark, peppermint bark, chocolate peppermint, chocolate peppermint