Make your own great tasting peppermint bark – in the microwave!

For the last four years I’ve been teaching a class called Gifts From the Kitchen. We always have a lot of fun. Several people come back year after year, as we make different items each time.

Last year we made this super-simple marbled peppermint bark. It was very interesting to see how each cooking group’s batch came out. Some were very pink, some very marbled, some hardly marbled at all. Some used lots more than the 2 Tbsp of crushed candies, some used much less than the 2 Tbsp of crushed candies. But the best thing of all? The all looked and tasted fantastic.

This is the kind of gift you can make while waiting for dinner to cook, or when you have a few minutes before the kids get home from school. Do keep in mind that you should use baking chocolate, not chocolate candy coating wafers. (IMHO you should never use candy coating wafers as they are filled with hydrogenated fats, but that is a different post).

Save Print

Marbled Peppermint Bark

Make your own great tasting peppermint bark - in the microwave!

Author: Renee Pottle

Recipe type: Candy

Prep time:  10 mins

Cook time:  10 mins

Total time:  20 mins

Ingredients

• 2 (4 oz) bars of white baking chocolate
• 1 (4 oz) bar of bittersweet or semi sweet baking chocolate
• ½ tsp peppermint extract or ¼ tsp peppermint oil
• red food coloring (optional)
• 2 Tbsp crushed peppermint candies

Instructions

1. Grease an 8 x 8 inch baking dish and set aside.
2. If you can't find crushed peppermint candies, crush your own. Place candies in a zip-top bag. Wrap the bag in a kitchen towel. Place on a hard surface and strike with a meat tenderizer or a hammer until candies are crushed to desired amount.
3. Break white chocolate bars into smaller pieces and place in a microwave safe bowl.
4. Set microwave oven at 50% power.
5. Heat chocolate for 20-40 seconds at a time, stirring after each period.
6. When chocolate is fully melted, smooth and shiny, add peppermint extract and food coloring if using.
7. Pour chocolate into prepared pan and spread with a spatula.
8. Repeat the cooking action with the bittersweet chocolate, omitting the extract and food coloring
9. Pour bittersweet chocolate over the white chocolate. Using a butter knife, gently swirl the chocolate together.
10. Sprinkle crushed peppermint over the top.
11. Chill until set.
12. Bread bark into pieces and store in an air-tight container for up to two weeks.

Wordpress Recipe Plugin by EasyRecipe

3.5.3208

Looking for more easy “gifts from the kitchen” ideas? Order your copy of Holiday Gifts from the Kitchen NOW!

The above recipe isn’t included, but many more candy, cookie, snack, mixes in a jar, and other recipes are.

Get your print copy here. On sale now and shipped USPS Priority Mail.

Download a copy here.