Peppermint bark facts for kids
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| Type | Chocolate |
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| Main ingredients | White chocolate, dark chocolate, peppermint |
Peppermint bark is a yummy chocolate treat! It's usually made with two layers of chocolate: a dark chocolate layer on the bottom and a white chocolate layer on top. Tiny pieces of peppermint candy, like candy canes, are mixed into the white chocolate. Sometimes, peppermint bark can also be just one type of chocolate with peppermint pieces inside.
This delicious candy is super popular around the Christmas holidays. Many companies sell it during this time. You might find it from brands like Williams Sonoma, Ghirardelli, and Dove. Even Hershey's makes peppermint-flavored Hershey's Kisses!
In the United States, some Girl Scout groups also sell peppermint bark. It's part of their wider range of products, not just their famous cookies. Jelly Belly even has a special "Peppermint Bark Recipe Mix" of their dark chocolate and candy cane jelly beans.
Contents
How to Make Peppermint Bark
Making peppermint bark is quite simple. You only need a few ingredients: chocolate and peppermint candies. Some recipes also add a little extra peppermint flavoring to make it even mintier.
Ingredients You Need
- Chocolate (often dark and white chocolate)
- Peppermint candies (like candy canes)
- Optional: Peppermint flavoring
Steps to Create Your Bark
First, you need to break up the peppermint candies into small pieces. Then, you melt the chocolate. If you are making a two-layered bark, you would melt the dark chocolate first. Spread this melted dark chocolate onto a baking sheet.
Next, you melt the white chocolate. Mix the crushed peppermint candies into the melted white chocolate. Pour this mixture over the dark chocolate layer on the baking sheet.
Finally, you chill the whole thing until it becomes firm and hard. Once it's firm, you can easily break the large sheet of bark into smaller, yummy pieces. This is similar to how you break up peanut brittle.
Different Kinds of Peppermint Bark
There are a few ways to make peppermint bark. The most common is the two-layered type. This is where a layer of dark chocolate is at the bottom. A layer of white chocolate mixed with crushed mint is on top. Ghirardelli's Peppermint Bark Squares are a good example of this layered style.
See also
In Spanish: Corteza de menta para niños
