Around the holiday season, I spend a lot of time in the kitchen. Sometimes I make complicated recipes that have three dozen ingredients and take a whole day’s worth of steps to make, and those are good. And then sometimes I make a recipe that takes fifteen minutes to make and requires only two easily-obtained recipes. Those are REALLY good.
This recipe is so much more than the sum of its parts. It’s absolutely scrumptious and unbelievably easy to make. Packaged in a festive tin or gift box, it makes a wonderful hostess gift — and no one will guess how simple it is! When I make this for a party I either have to hide the evidence or triple the recipe, else wise my family will eat it all. Or I will eat it all. One or the other.
The Easy Way To Crush Candy Canes
Some people would involve their children in the ingredient preparation; me, I do not trust my children with a rolling pin and instructions to crush anything. Disaster could only ensue from such a situation over here, but perhaps your children are much less destructive — in which case, by all means, get the children to help crush the candy canes! Family togetherness and delicious treats? Yes, please.
Ingredients
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place candy canes in a zippered plastic bag. Using a rolling pin, crush the candy canes to little bits. Don’t worry about uniformity here – there is room for all the candy parts, big and small. You should have about 1/2 cup of crushed bits – add more candy canes if need be (or eat the bits, if you crushed too many).
In the top of a double boiler, and slowly melt chocolate chips over simmering water, stirring often.
Pour the melted chocolate onto the parchment paper-lined baking sheet, smoothing it out so that it is about 1/4–1/3 inch thick. Immediately sprinkle the crushed candy canes over top all the chocolate.
Place the baking sheet in the freezer for approximately 30 minutes, or until set.
Break the bark into pieces and store in the refrigerator.
Want to see how easy this recipe is? Watch this short video of me making Dark Chocolate Peppermint Bark Recipe.
Want more foodie gift ideas? How about Maija's Mint Chocolate Bark, Maija's Candy Cane Spoons, or my Decadent Dark Chocolate Truffles?
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