Peppermint bark is a candy made by melting white chocolate, adding peppermint extract, and pouring it into a pan to harden. It can be garnished with candy pieces or used as a coating. Variations include using dark or milk chocolate and creating layered bark. It can be used as a side dish for desserts or in building holiday scenes made of candy. The recipe is flexible and can be adjusted to personal taste.
Peppermint bark is a form of candy that comes in flat sheets; when broken, the leaves resemble small pieces of bark, which explains the name. In addition to making peppermint bark, candy barks can also be made with ingredients such as nuts, fruit, and pieces of other candy materials, for a wide variety of textures and flavors. The candy bark can be eaten plain or used to garnish desserts ranging from mousses to elaborate biscuits.
The peppermint flavoring is specifically associated with many people’s holidays, possibly because it’s used in candy canes. To make peppermint bark, cooks melt white chocolate, add peppermint extract, then pour the chocolate into a waxed pan. The chocolate is hardened, then broken into pieces. Many people like to add mint candy pieces or candy canes to make mint crunchy bark, which combines the creamy texture of chocolate with the crunchy crunch of hard candies.
There are a wide variety of variations on peppermint bark. For example, it can be made with dark or milk chocolate as the base rather than white chocolate, or cooks can create layered bark, by melting a layer of dark chocolate and then adding a layer of white chocolate with peppermint flavoring. Peppermint bark can also be dipped in various types of chocolate for a flavorful coating.
There are many creative ways to use this sweet treat. For example, it can be placed on trays during the holidays or given away in gift bags to guests during the holiday season. It can also be added to servings of ice cream, cakes, mousses, pot de crème and other desserts as a crunchy and visually striking side dish. Peppermint bark can also be used in building gingerbread houses and other holiday scenes made with sweets. For example, it can be an excellent construction medium for a crib if you want to display a crib made out of candy.
You don’t need a hard and quick recipe to make peppermint bark, as the flavor is a matter of personal taste. As a general rule, you want to use about one-half teaspoon of peppermint extract for every two pounds (about one kilogram) of chocolate, with one-half to three-quarters of a cup of inclusions as large as crushed peppermint candy.
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