It's that time of year again, when I find myself stuck for new ideas for Teacher presents and so turn once more to the old favourite, hence today became my annual Peppermint Bark Making Day.
It's a nice thing to make, though a bit sticky and resulting in lots of washing up but it always seems to be well received, so this year I made lots. I thought I'd share my method and quantities with you in case you'd like to make some – it's great for last minute gifts and very easy and safe to do with children. The original recipe that inspired me is here but over the last few years I've adapted it to readily available UK ingredients:
To make around 60 squares (of approx 1 inch), you will need:
- 5 bars of Green and Blacks organic white vanilla cooking chocolate (150 gm bars)
- 2 bars of Green and Blacks organic dark cooking chocolate (150 gm bars)
- 7 tablespoons of double cream (a 220ml pot is more than enough)
- 1-2 teaspoons of peppermint essence (put one in and taste before adding the second spoon as it depends on the extract that you use – they seem to vary greatly in strength)
- A pack of candy canes (they need to be fresh – don't make the same mistake as me and attempt to use some left over from last year, as you'll find they've gone all soft and sticky)
- A baking tray (around 37cms x 27cms) lined with greaseproof paper
- two bowls for melting chocolate in – 1 for white and 1 for dark
Method:
Crush your candy canes (see picture at the top). I pop mine in a bag and smack hell out of them with an old rolling pin (which is also good for letting off a bit of steam, though be warned it did dent the rolling pin). You'll find that you get varying chunk sizes plus a fair bit of dust – I find it useful to pop it through a colander to sieve out the finest dust and then crush down any bits that are too big. Set aside the finest dust crushings (as these can go on top of the middle layer) and save the little chunks for the topping.
Melt half of the white chocolate (2 and a half bars) by breaking into small pieces, placing in a heatproof bowl and microwaving on medium heat for short periods at a time. Keep getting the bowl out to check on it and stir the chocolate with a spatula when it starts to show signs of melting. Once it is just over half melted you don't need to keep heating it but instead just keep stirring and the warm liquid chocolate will encourage any remaining lumps to melt down.
Once the chocolate is completely melted pour it onto the greaseproof lined baking tray and spread out into a thin and even layer. One year I used tin foil but it was a nightmare to get off the bottom of the finished slab and you don't want to nibble strips of foil along with your bark.
Pop the tray in the fridge and go off and do something else for half an hour or so until it is fully set. There's no need to wash up the bowl as you'll be melting more white chocolate later.
Now make the ganache filling by melting the dark chocolate, peppermint extract and cream, heating it gradually (in the same way as the white chocolate) and stirring until it thickens, which it will do suddenly.
Let it cool slightly for 5 minutes and then spread it thinly over the chilled white chocolate layer – you might find you don't need all of the mixture. You'll need to work quickly as the cold white chocolate will begin to set the mixture. I sprinkle this layer with the fine candy cane dust (not too much or the top layer won't bond and will come apart when it's cut – she says from experience!) and then pop it in the fridge again for half an hour or until the dark layer is set.
For the final layer melt the remaining white chocolate and pour it over the dark layer – spread it quickly and gently to try and avoid melting the dark layer below and mixing it in which would give you a streaky top! Sprinkle the candy cane chunks over the top while the chocolate is still soft and press them lighly in so that they stay attached when the chocolate sets. Pop the whole thing back into the fridge for an hour or so to fully harden.
When it is fully hardened trim off the edges (which are the cooks privilege to nibble on) with a sharp knife and cut the slab into squares of about an inch.
According to the original recipe it will keep for around 2 weeks, not that it gets the chance to around here!
It's nice to take a bit of time planning your packaging and I like to make some labels and use some red and white butcher's string to attach them. If you'd like to print some out here is a simple set. Download Peppermint bark labels
You can either present your gifts in clean glass jars, which I've done previously
or in paper bags, which I'm using this time as they are safer to send into school in Toby's back pack.
If you give the recipe a go, I hope you have fun making and gifting the bark and enjoy a little of it yourself too x
little cotton rabbits 
It’s so pretty and it looks delicious. Such a thoughtful gift for the teachers. I really like the way you photographed the process too. Thanks for sharing.
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I followed your recipe for peppermint bark last Christmas for the first time and, oh my goodness, it was delicious! We all found it completely addictive and I will definitely make it again this year. Thank you for sharing your recipe, and for such a pretty and inspiring blog 🙂
Cathy x
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The first picture with your bowl of broken peppermint made me very happy. You see, 70 years ago my mother was a school teacher/band director and a newly married lady. Her band students gave her pieces of this crystal pattern as wedding gifts, and she ended up with quite a collection! I’ll be getting pieces out for Christmas dinner use. 🙂
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Thank you for this recipe and idea!!!! I’ve been trying to come up with something for the natives teachers and this is perfect!!! Thank you!! Merry Christmas my dear friend! XXXXX
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Haha Julie, your description of how to smash up the candy canes made me laugh out loud!
I actually bought peppermint essence today to make bark but have realised now that I forgot the cream!!!
Nothing like a bit of bark and a mug of tea. Your presentation is beautiful thanks so much for sharing your recipe and rags.
V x
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I obviously mean tags! 😉
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You’re so funny — I’m sorry about your hurt rolling pin. It looks delicious — thanks for a fun recipe and tags!
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Hi!! Want to try!! thank you for sharing!! Love your blog and all of your knitted friends!! Have a marry Christmas!! Anne 🙂
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such beautiful presentation Julie xxx bet Toby’s teachers love you!
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Just what I need Julie thank you! I have a recipe bookmarked but I’m going to go with your much more detailed instructions, just hoping my cheaper chocolate will be up to the job. I’m a bit wary of melting white chocolate after a bad experience once. Also I couldn’t find red and white candy canes so we are using red, white and green ones. I’ll let you know how it turns out.
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It looks delicious, what a lovely gift.
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I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – I wish I was one of your children’s teachers!
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Every year I say I will make this but haven’t done it so far. Maybe this year! Thanks for reminding me again. It always look so enticing especially when it is packaged so beautifully.
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Loved this recipe the first time around Julie. Thankyou for going to so muchtrouble and ‘re-doing’ a post about it. The pictures are a great help. Love the labels too – thank you.
Wishing you a very warm an enjoyable Christmas with your family, and a lovely New Year.
B x
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Oh Julie Thank you so much for the wonderful recipe for the Peppermint Bark, I can’t wait to try this Toby’s teachers are so very lucky indeed , and I bet they thoroughly enjoy receiving such a beautiful tasty gift….. Lots of love and hugs for you and your family xxx
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Okay – you and Sue are clearly conspiring. I’m going to have to make some tomorrow – we have our final Santa tennis session on Saturday and I need to take a treat – this sounds just the ticket!
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I love this posting and all of your previous ones and would like to wish you as peaceful a Christmas as is possible for you all.
On a separate issue – all my purchased patterns from etsy have disappeared just as I wanted to knit a rabbit – of course. Has anyone else complained of this? Many thanks for brightening our lives.
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Problem resolved. It seems I have wasted a lot of my time searching through the American etsy website. Duh …. Off to knit a little rabbit xx
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thanks for sharing Julie, it looks lovely!
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Thanks Julie – I have copied your idea and have made it for the last 3 years for my daughter’s teachers. I even made the crotchet snowflakes the first time. I love making it (and eating the off-cuts). Thank you so much for sharing it, everyone who tastes it, loves it. Definitely best straight from the fridge though. Bx xxx
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I was only discussing chocolate bark with a friend yesterday and had planned to make some but hadn’t looked up a recipe yet. Lo and behold, I go on blog loving and see you have addressed this very thing! Your peppermint bark looks delicious, I think I need to make some! 🙂 Lil
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Awesome! Yummy in my tummy xx
Have you made a post about macaroons? That would be blogsome 🙂
I made them recently and was wondering if you had done a post about them!? X
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Thanks so much for sharing this recipe, perfect timing! Just one question, how do you cut out the lovely label shapes? Is this some kind of gizmo that I need to hastily add to my list for Father Christmas? X
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These look great, I wish I’d had had the recipe to make them when my kids were at school. I’ll have a go with my younger son who is here with me for Christmas. I am sure he’ll love it.
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It looks lovely, if only I could eat peppermint. I shall have to try a version with a different candy I think. Hope you made sure that the cook’s perks trimmings were on the generous side 😉
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Thank you for sharing, what a lovely idea. I would like to give this a go with my sons.
I wish you and all your family a very Happy Christmas
Katie xxx
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Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas! I am grateful for all the gifts you have given me. Here’s to a healthy 2015 with daily moments of joy & bliss.
Fondly…Lori from Port Perry
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This looks delicious – I subscribe to your blog, so I saw it as soon as it popped up, but actually I’m being a bit cheeky and using this post to thank you for something else. I finished making one of your hedgehogs this afternoon, and I love it! It’s not even for me, it’s for my mum, but it’s so cute, I’ll make another as soon as I get a chance 🙂 I’ve also made quite a few tiny bunnies from your pattern this year too. They”ve been brilliant little stress busters for me, and it’s been so nice to give them as gifts to friends who have had stresses of their own.
So thank you for taking the time to share your life and your skills. I hope you and the family have a great break, and that Christmas isn’t too disruptive. Very best wishes for the new year.
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I tried your recipe except I couldn’t find mint so I replaced it with orange and it is really really delicious !!! thank you so much for sharing and I send you my best wishes from France !
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I have been making Orangette s bark for years; the secret is really good chocolate (as yours is) otherwise it can taste waxy. I use belgium Callebaut in the big blocks; I get it in Wholefoods here in Chicago. I have to say yours is a lot more neatly cut than mine ! Truly delicious.
Have a great New Year and thanks again for making your wonderful patterns available.
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Made this and everybody (who loves chocolate) loved this… a new favourite for the Christmas holidays. Thanks and hope the Christmas period has been joyfull for you
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