Peppermint bark
Encyclopedia
Peppermint bark is a chocolate
confection. Generally it consists of peppermint
candy pieces, such as candy canes, in white chocolate
on top of dark chocolate, but peppermint bark can refer to any chocolate with peppermint candy pieces in it.
season. Companies known for selling it seasonally include Williams-Sonoma
, Ghirardelli, and Dove. Though they do not label it as peppermint bark, Hershey's also sells peppermint Hershey's kisses
.
In the United States, peppermint bark is also sold by some Girl Scout
troops as part of an expanded range of items other than cookies
. Additional items in this range include salsa
and peanut butter cups. Jelly Belly
also sells a combination of it's dark chocolate and candy cane jelly beans as a "Peppermint Bark Recipe Mix".
's recipe for the Food Network
also adds peppermint flavoring as an optional extra. The candies used may be candy canes. The candies should be broken up, and the chocolate is melted. These two ingredients are combined on a baking sheet and then chilled until firm. The bark is then removed from the sheet and broken into pieces in a similar way to peanut brittle.
Variations on peppermint bark can include a two-toned layered type, where a bottom layer of dark chocolate is covered with the white chocolate and crushed mint layer on top. This particular variation also includes Ghirardelli's Peppermint Bark Squares.
Chocolate
Chocolate is a raw or processed food produced from the seed of the tropical Theobroma cacao tree. Cacao has been cultivated for at least three millennia in Mexico, Central and South America. Its earliest documented use is around 1100 BC...
confection. Generally it consists of peppermint
Peppermint
Peppermint is a hybrid mint, a cross between the watermint and spearmint . The plant, indigenous to Europe, is now widespread in cultivation throughout all regions of the world...
candy pieces, such as candy canes, in white chocolate
White chocolate
White chocolate is a confectionery derivative of chocolate. It commonly consists of cocoa butter, sugar, milk solids and salt, and is characterized by a pale yellow or ivory appearance...
on top of dark chocolate, but peppermint bark can refer to any chocolate with peppermint candy pieces in it.
Cultural impact
It is especially popular around the ChristmasChristmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
season. Companies known for selling it seasonally include Williams-Sonoma
Williams-Sonoma
Williams-Sonoma, Inc. is a high-end American consumer retail company that sells kitchenwares, furniture and linens, as well as other housewares and home furnishings, along with a variety of specialty foods, soaps and lotions...
, Ghirardelli, and Dove. Though they do not label it as peppermint bark, Hershey's also sells peppermint Hershey's kisses
Hershey's Kiss
Hershey's Kisses is a brand of chocolate manufactured by The Hershey Company. The bite-sized pieces of chocolate have a distinctive shape, commonly described as flat-bottomed teardrops. Hershey's Kisses chocolates are wrapped in squares of lightweight aluminum foil with a narrow strip of paper...
.
In the United States, peppermint bark is also sold by some Girl Scout
Girl Scouts of the USA
The Girl Scouts of the United States of America is a youth organization for girls in the United States and American girls living abroad. It describes itself as "the world's preeminent organization dedicated solely to girls". It was founded by Juliette Gordon Low in 1912 and was organized after Low...
troops as part of an expanded range of items other than cookies
Girl Scout cookie
Girl Scout cookies are cookies sold by Girl Scouts of the USA as one of its major fundraisers for local Scout units. Members of the GSUSA have been selling cookies since 1917 to raise funds. Girls who participate can earn prizes for their efforts. There are also unit incentives if the unit as a...
. Additional items in this range include salsa
Salsa (sauce)
Salsa may refer to any type of sauce. In American English, it usually refers to the spicy, often tomato based, hot sauces typical of Mexican and Central American cuisine, particularly those used as dips. In British English, the word typically refers to salsa cruda, which is common in Mexican ,...
and peanut butter cups. Jelly Belly
Jelly Belly
The Jelly Belly Candy, or simply Jelly Belly, is the maker of The Jelly Belly and other candy, formerly known as The Herman Goelitz Candy Company...
also sells a combination of it's dark chocolate and candy cane jelly beans as a "Peppermint Bark Recipe Mix".
Recipes and ingredients
The recipe for peppermint bark uses few ingredients, with only chocolate and mint candies required. Paula DeenPaula Deen
Paula Deen American cook, cooking show host, restaurateur, author, actress and Emmy Award-winning television personality.Deen resides in Savannah, Georgia, where she owns and operates...
's recipe for the Food Network
Food Network
Food Network is a television specialty channel that airs both one-time and recurring programs about food and cooking. Scripps Networks Interactive owns 70 percent of the network, with Tribune Company controlling the remaining 30 percent....
also adds peppermint flavoring as an optional extra. The candies used may be candy canes. The candies should be broken up, and the chocolate is melted. These two ingredients are combined on a baking sheet and then chilled until firm. The bark is then removed from the sheet and broken into pieces in a similar way to peanut brittle.
Variations on peppermint bark can include a two-toned layered type, where a bottom layer of dark chocolate is covered with the white chocolate and crushed mint layer on top. This particular variation also includes Ghirardelli's Peppermint Bark Squares.