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Once winter emerges, a special treat starts popping up all over also. Peppermint bark! I love peppermint bark. What’s not to love? Smooth chocolate combined with the cool freshness of peppermint. For me, one particular type of peppermint bark rises to the top though and that’s the Williams-Sonoma Peppermint Bark. A layer of semi-sweet chocolate topped with a layer of white chocolate and then bits of peppermint candy on scattered over the top.
I’ve made peppermint bark on a few other occasions but my homemade version just wasn’t even close to theirs. Something was “off” and I couldn’t quite figure it out. That is until now. It hit me in such a “duh!” moment too. I was on their website, drooling over the prospect of buying some of this delightful candy when I actually read the product description. That’s when I realized what mine had been missing all this time. Peppermint oil. They are putting peppermint oil in the chocolate! All this time I thought the exceptional peppermint flavor was coming from the candy sprinkled on top but when I would make mine it just never seemed like enough. Now I know why.
This time around I tried using peppermint oil in my recipe and viola! I was transported right into a tin of Williams-Sonoma Peppermint Bark. This bark has the perfect balance of velvety chocolate with cool peppermint. Although I did drizzle my white chocolate instead of spreading it like they do, mostly because I’m not totally in love with white chocolate so I wanted it to be less prominent in my pieces. For a truly authentic experience, spread the white chocolate over the top of the chocolate layer. If you’ve ever had their peppermint bark and make this one, I would be so curious to hear if you think I nailed it or not. Please, let me know! I’d love to have your feedback.
Enjoy!
~K
One Year Ago: Gingerbread Mini-Muffins with Lemon Glaze
When William-Sonoma Peppermint Bark sells out, (and it does! Quickly!) you can make your own. This is a festive holiday treat of peppermint infused semisweet chocolate, layered with white chocolate and topped with crushed peppermint candies.
Ingredients
- 12 ounces Guittard Semisweet Chocolate, coarsely chopped *It's so important to use high quality chocolate here!
- 1/2 teaspoon peppermint oil, divided
- 12 ounces Guittard White Chocolate, coarsely chopped
- 10 small, hard peppermint candies, crushed
Instructions
- Line the bottom and sides of a 9x13-inch baking dish with foil, leaving a slight overhang.
- Place about 2 inches of water in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer.
- Put 9 ounces of the semisweet chocolate in a medium glass or metal bowl and set the bowl over the saucepan. Stir the chocolate until about halfway melted. Remove the bowl and add the remaining 3 ounces of chocolate slowly, a few pieces at a time while continuing to stir until all the chocolate has melted. If necessary, return the bowl to the saucepan for a few seconds to help melt the chocolate. *This is a slow process but worth it in the finished product.
- Once all the semisweet chocolate has melted, stir in 1/4 teaspoon peppermint oil then gently scrape the chocolate into the prepared dish and spread evenly over the bottom. Firmly tap the dish against the counter a few times to get any air bubbles out. Allow the chocolate to set at cool room temperature for about 15 minutes before topping with white chocolate.
- Return the water in the saucepan to a simmer and repeat the same process with the white chocolate. Once melted, gently and evenly spread the white chocolate over the semisweet chocolate.
- Sprinkle the top with the crushed hard peppermint candies. Allow the bark to set at cool room temperature for at least 1 hour until firm. Lift the bark out and bread into pieces.
- Enjoy!
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{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
I love Williams-Sonoma peppermint bark. . .definitely will be giving this a try!
Hope you like it! I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Mmmm… you even used Guittard chocolate!
It’s been a while since I’ve had the WS Peppermint Bark–too pricey. This is something I must try!
I was really trying to recreate their bark and I knew it would be important to really use the good stuff
Hope you like it!
We don’t have a WS near us which makes me wicked sad. I’ve never had their bark but knowing them it’s spectacular. I love that you added oil, it just takes it over the top.
It truly is spectacular! If you ever have the opportunity, do try it. It’s my favorite.