Chocolate Peppermint Bark for Your Low FODMAP Holidays
Yes, you can have Chocolate Peppermint Bark! In small servings. Monash sets chocolate intake at 30 g for dark and 25 g for white, although not necessarily at the same time! (Familiarize yourself with FODMAP Stacking to learn more about how to best monitor your intake).
What Does The Serving Size Look Like?
We have an article on All About White Chocolate where we visually show you how much 25 g of chocolate actually is. Before you think it is such a small amount that it isn’t worth your while, take a look. We think you will be happily surprised.
Easy, Elegant – Fun to make with Kids! And a Great Host Gift
This Chocolate Peppermint Bark has everything going for it. It sports a layer of dark chocolate, topped with creamy white chocolate and is crowned with a smattering of chopped red and white peppermint candy canes (or any hard red and white peppermint candy).
You can also make it with just dark chocolate, which is my preferred version (see image below and Tips). The result is a crunchy, minty confection that is easy enough to make with kids – and makes a great project for school vacation.
It is elegant enough for a host gift, is one present that teachers will love and it is even sturdy enough to mail to far-flung friends and loved ones. And – you can eat it too!
What Is Chocolate Bark?
Maybe you have seen expensive versions of Peppermint Chocolate Bark in upscale catalogs? This confection is a perfect example of something that can be purchased for a hefty price but duplicated at home for a fraction of the cost. Also, with the homemade version, you can use the highest quality ingredients resulting in an even better end result.
It is called “bark” for two reasons. I like to go with the idea that slabs of it look like rough tree bark. The other reason is because there is a poor quality chocolate coating product on the market (not true chocolate) that contains alternative oils and fats (instead of cocoa butter).
It is easy to melt and some confectioners use it to make inexpensive chocolate candies; it is referred to as “almond bark”, even though there aren’t any almonds in it. No almonds, and not a real chocolate.
Crazy, right? Steer clear. This is not to be confused with actual almond bark, which is like this recipe, except made with almonds instead of peppermint…confused? Don’t worry about it. Just stick with our low FODMAP Chocolate Peppermint Bark.
Chocolate Peppermint Bark
This Chocolate Peppermint Bark has everything going for it. It sports a layer of dark chocolate, topped with creamy white chocolate and is crowned with a smattering of chopped red and white peppermint candy canes (or any hard red and white peppermint candy).
Low FODMAP Serving Size Info: Makes about 2 ¼ pounds (1.02 kg); serving size ½ ounce/15 g; 72 servings
Ingredients:
- 12, 6 to 7 inch (15 cm to 17 cm) red and white peppermint candy canes
- 1 pound (455 g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 1 pound (455 g) white chocolate, finely chopped
Preparation:
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Line a half-sheet baking pan with aluminum foil, shiny side up, smoothing out any wrinkles.
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Place candy canes in a heavy-duty zipper-top plastic bag, press out air and seal bag. Use a rolling pin the crush the candy canes, alternately rolling and whacking the candy until they are fairly uniformly crushed. Aim for approximately ¼ inch (6 mm) pieces. If there is a lot of powdery residue, place candy in a strainer and shake out and discard powdery part (or save and stir into hot chocolate). Set crushed candy aside.
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Melt both the dark chocolate and the white chocolate separately and stir until smooth. Spread dark chocolate in an even, thin layer (about ⅛ inch/3 mm thin) all over the aluminum foil. An offset spatula is a great tool for this. The chocolate doesn’t have to be perfectly rectangular; an imperfect puddle is fine!
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Place in refrigerator for chocolate to firm up. Once it is chilled and firm, spread white chocolate all over the dark, then immediately sprinkle chopped peppermint candy over white chocolate while it is still wet. Place pan in refrigerator until completely firm, about 20 minutes. Break up into pieces and it is ready to eat! Chocolate Peppermint Bark will keep for 1 month refrigerated in an airtight container. Stored in single layers separated by waxed or parchment paper
Notes:
Tips
- If you want to make an all-dark chocolate version, simply melt 2 pounds (910 g) of dark chocolate and sprinkle peppermint candy directly over it while it is still wet. Follow remaining directions as described.
- This candy looks great packaged in clear cellophane bags tied with red, green, gold or silver ribbons – perfect for a hostess gift during the holidays. Or, go all out and offer a whole tin! Also, if you can find red, green and white candy canes, the bark will look even more colorful.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more. For a more detailed explanation, please read our article Understanding The Nutrition Panel Within Our Recipes.
will make very soon! thank you…one of my favorites ! its worth missing it not hav ing problems!!! thank u for u!