Peppermint Bark Recipe - Cooking With Karli (2024)

FAQs

How do you get peppermint bark to stick together? ›

The trick for chocolate peppermint bark layers that stick together is to add the white chocolate layer before the semisweet layer is completely set.

Silicone Pad

Silicone baking pads, often referred to by the brand name Silpat, are a great replacement for parchment paper. Just drop one onto your baking sheet, and whatever you cook or bake on it will come right off. There's no need to grease your pan, and there's very little to clean up afterward.

A: Peppermint bark has a shelf life of 1 year.

Transfer the crushed peppermints to a saucepan or double boiler. If you're using a saucepan, stir in 1 US tbsp (15 mL) of corn syrup for every 15-18 candies you plan on melting. If you're using a double boiler, dump the candies into the top pan without any extra corn syrup. Turn your stovetop to low or medium heat.

Spread the peppermint-flavored white chocolate into a lined pan. Place the pan in the refrigerator for 10–15 minutes (I find 11 is just about perfect). You don't want it to set for too long and completely harden, or else the layers will separate.

You'll need parchment paper to make the recipe work properly; don't try to replace it with aluminum foil or plastic wrap. The bark looks attractive either cut or broken into ragged pieces.

In many cases, wax paper and parchment paper can be used interchangeably. They're both great for wrapping food for travelling or display. They can be used to cool chocolate-coated sweets and for making chocolate bark.

If you leave your bark out at room temperature the peppermint bark will tend to be soft. Place back in the refrigerator to harden it back up.

The name "bark" or "candy bark" doesn't exactly explain itself, does it? Barks like this peppermint bark are called that because of the way the chocolate candy breaks into craggy pieces that resemble the layers and borders of tree bark. Also, many barks are made with dark chocolates, so the color is similar, too.

Remove the Peppermint Bark from the pan by lifting the edges of the aluminum foil. Peel back the foil and break, or cut, the bark into small irregular pieces. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Does peppermint bark need to be in the fridge? ›

Homemade peppermint bark will last for several weeks. You can store it in an airtight container on the counter or in the fridge. If you store it in the fridge, I recommend letting it sit out for awhile before serving it (or else the chocolate gets a little bit hard!).

Editor: Lona, most flavoring extracts are quite volatile and, as you discovered with the peppermint flavoring, can evaporate. We looked at the storage recommendations from several flavoring manufacturers and they say that extracts tend to have a shelf life of 6 months to 1 year.

Homemade peppermint bark will last about 2 weeks in an airtight container on the counter. In the fridge, it will last up to 3 weeks, although the candy cane pieces on top can become a bit sticky. You can even freeze it for up to 2 months. Just wrap it in foil first.

A hot glue gun works best, but tacky glue can also be used. I choose to use the hot glue gun, with silver sparkle glue sticks.

Other tips for preventing peppermint bark from separating

If you use a type of white chocolate made with palm kernel or coconut oil, the dark and white chocolate layers will separate from each other because the oil won't allow it to bond to the dark chocolate layer.

Look to this quick, mess-free tip for crushing peppermint candies. Coarsely crush the peppermint candies in a resealable plastic bag using the smooth side of a meat mallet. Since the candies are so hard, the heftiness of the mallet is the best thing for breaking them up quickly.