Making Peppermint Bark at Home Is the Perfect Holiday Activity

One of the best parts about the holidays is the desserts. This time of year brings festive favorites like gumdrops, sugar cookies, and chocolates. If you‘re craving a crowd-pleaser that’s perfect for all ages, this peppermint bark recipe from the Institute of Culinary Education will add some cheer to your holiday menu.

This recipe calls for “tempering,” the process of setting melted chocolate so it has a shiny finish and snaps when bitten. You’re essentially heating and cooling the chocolate while it stirring it to promote cacao butter crystallization. 

ICE uses the tabling method for tempering, which utilizes a cool, hard surface—typically a marble slab—to bring down the temperature of the chocolate. Mental Floss asked Chelsea Burgess, chef-instructor of pastry and baking arts at the Institute of Culinary Education’s New York City campus, if marble is the only stone that can be used to temper chocolate. She says, “Any cool earth stone is best ... I’ve seen it done on a metal countertop, but I recommend granite, marble, or any natural earth stone.” 

This recipe has two layers of different kinds of chocolate: dark chocolate on the bottom and white chocolate on top. Begin making the peppermint bark by melting the dark chocolate to 113 to 120°F. You can use a double boiler or microwave for this. Next, put two-thirds of the chocolate on a stone slab and quickly spread it until it drops to 81 or 82°F. Remove the cooled chocolate from the slab and stir it with the chocolate in the bowl. When the temperature rises to 88 to 90, the chocolate is in temper, and you can add the peppermint extract. Once it’s mixed in, pour the dark chocolate onto a parchment-lined sheet tray using a spatula to spread it evenly. Allow it to cool to room temperature.

Now that the dark chocolate layer is complete, you can begin the white chocolate layer. Melt the white chocolate over a double boiler to 105 to 113°F. Like you did with the dark chocolate layer, put about two-thirds of the white chocolate onto a slab and spread it until it cools to 79 to 81°F. Remove it from the slab when it cools down. Stir the cooled chocolate with the remaining portion and wait until the mixture reaches 85 to 87°F. When the white chocolate is tempered, double-check to make sure the dark chocolate is completely set at room temperature. If not, put it in the fridge briefly. When the dark chocolate is finished setting, pour the white chocolate over it and spread the top layer with a spatula. Sprinkle crushed candy canes on top, and let the white chocolate set to room temperature. When it’s ready, break it apart into random pieces to serve.

The Institute of Culinary Education has a lot to offer. Its New York and Los Angeles locations feature several comprehensive programs, from pastry and baking arts to health-supportive culinary arts. Visit the school’s website to learn more. 

Peppermint Bark 

Ingredients
340g dark chocolate
226g white chocolate
5g peppermint extract
8 candy canes, crushed

1. Melt the dark chocolate to 113 - 120˚F using a double boiler or microwave.
2. Place about two-thirds of the melted chocolate onto a natural stone slab, keeping the remaining third in a bowl.
3. Spread and agitate the chocolate, working quickly until the chocolate cools to 81- 82˚F. Once cooled, remove the chocolate from the slab.
4. Stir together the cooled chocolate and the remaining third of the pre-melted chocolate. The temperature should be between 88 and 90˚F. If it is too warm, pour a third of the chocolate onto the marble and repeat until you reach the desired temperature. 
5. At this point, the chocolate is in temper. Add the peppermint extract. 
6. Pour the dark chocolate onto a parchment-lined sheet tray. Use an offset spatula to spread evenly. Let it cool at room temperature. 
7. Make the white chocolate layer:  Melt the white chocolate over a double boiler to 105-113˚F.
8. Place about two-thirds of the melted chocolate onto a marble slab, keeping the remaining third in a bowl.
9. Spread and agitate the chocolate, working quickly until the chocolate cools to 79-81˚F. Once cooled, remove the chocolate from the marble slab.
10. Stir together the cooled chocolate and the remaining third of the pre-melted chocolate. The temperature should be between 85 and 87˚F. If it is too warm, pour a third of the chocolate onto the marble and repeat until you reach the desired temperature. 
11. Once the chocolate is tempered, ensure your dark chocolate has completely set. If it hasn’t, chill it briefly in the fridge. (Note: Tempered chocolate sets at room temperature; we only use the refrigerator to speed up the process.)
12. Pour the white chocolate over the dark chocolate. Spread with an offset spatula to cover the entire surface. Sprinkle with crushed candy canes. 
13. Allow to set at room temperature. 
14. Once the chocolate is set, break it apart into pieces. Store at room temperature. 

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