Peppermint Patty, no.. not the Charlie Brown character. It’s actually a delicious candy with a creamy peppermint flavoured center, coated in chocolate. This version has been adapted to candy bark form; meaning it’s quick and much easier to make. No need to fiddle with dipping each individual patty in chocolate- a time consuming and sometimes messy endeavor. Have you ever tried a Girl Guide mint cookie? This bark tastes exactly like that! So if you are a fan, give this recipe a shot.
Hot tip: When lining a baking sheet with wax paper, first spray the pan with some cooking spray. When you press the wax paper down it will adhere really well to the pan without any pesky wrinkles that can show up in your bark. It also helps the wax paper stay stuck to the pan when spreading chocolate and other layers.
This peppermint patty bark is all about layers. The first consists of melted semi-sweet chocolate chips with chocolate wafer cookies pressed into it. Make sure to half submerge each cookie into the bark, pressing them down with some force so that when the chocolate sets the cookies stay glued to the chocolate. I used store bought wafer cookies for this recipe. However, if you have a favourite homemade wafer recipe feel free to use that instead!
The middle layer is creamy, dreamy peppermint icing with fun little crunches of crushed candy canes. Take a handful of unwrapped candy canes and place them in a sealed bag with all the air pressed out. Next, use either a meat mallet, heavy bottomed glass or a rolling pin to smash the candy canes into little bits. Alternatively, this time of year most bulk food stores have crushed candy canes in stock. You can always buy them pre-crushed to save a bit of time and effort. This icing layer is pretty thick and a bit difficult to spread, so add equal spoonfuls all over the bark before spreading. It might be easier to use your fingers to press and spread it out first before using a knife to finish the job. Make sure the layer is nice and even, without any candy cane pieces sticking up, as they will get in the way of spreading the final chocolate layer.
That’s it! Make sure to chill the bark in between each layer so that you don’t disrupt any of them. Feel free to sprinkle extra crushed candy canes or festive coloured sprinkles on top. When the bark has completely set and the chocolate has hardened, either break the bark into pieces using your hands or cut them up using a knife. This bark should be stored in the fridge or freezer before serving. These delicious minty treats are pretty simple to make and make a great addition to any cookie box gifts for friends and family.
Peppermint Patty Bark
- Yield: 24-26 pieces |
- Prep time: 12 min |
- Wait time: 35 min |
- Cook Time: 4 min |
Ingredients:
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3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
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2 tsp shortening
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21-22 chocolate wafer cookies
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2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
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1 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
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2 1/2 cups icing sugar (325 g)
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3-4 tbsp crushed candy cane
Directions:
1. Line a 13 x 9 inch baking sheet with wax paper. Use cooking spray to help adhere the wax paper to the pan.2. In a microwave-safe bowl, heat up the chocolate chips and shortening in 30 second increments for 3-4 minutes. Stir after each 30 seconds, until the chocolate is melted, smooth and free of lumps.
3. Pour half the melted chocolate onto the baking pan, spreading it out in an even layer. Cover the chocolate layer with the wafer cookies. Press down on each cookie; make sure each is half submerged in the chocolate. Place the bark in the refrigerator for 10 minutes until the chocolate has hardened and set.
4. In a medium sized mixing bowl, cream together the sweetened condensed milk, peppermint extract and 1 cup of icing sugar using a hand mixer. Continue to cream and add the rest of the icing sugar 1 cup at a time until it has all been mixed in. Add the candy canes and mix them into the peppermint layer. 3-4 minutes.
5. Scoop and distribute the icing on top the chocolate layer. Gently spread the peppermint icing across the chocolate wafers in an even layer. Freeze the bark for 15 minutes to harden the icing layer.
6. Reheat the remaining chocolate in the microwave until melted and smooth again. Pour the chocolate on top of the bark, covering the peppermint layer. Spread it out using a knife or spatula. Add some sprinkles and place the bark back in the fridge for 10 minutes or until the chocolate has hardened.
7. Either break or cut the bark into smaller pieces before storing in a container in the fridge/freezer until ready to serve.