Easy Holiday Treat Lets The Kids Use A Hammer
Some holiday treats are easier to make than others, and this one is a breeze. And, it lets the kids destroy something so it's pretty much a win-win.
Even if you're not a total whiz in the kitchen, holiday treats can be fun to make. They don't have to be complex to be festive, and sometimes the simplest ones are the best. Especially if heavy tools are involved and you can let some 2020 stress and aggression out on some peppermint.
We put melted candy coating on everything this time of year. Peanut butter balls, Oreo balls, pretzels, peanuts, raisin and peanut mixture, Cheerios, and pretty much anything that's a carb. I wasn't planning on making Peppermint Bark this year, but the kids wanted to smash something with a hammer and have something extra to dunk in hot cocoa, so why not.
Peppermint Bark is so easy and cheap to make. Stores will wrap a few squares in fancy cellophane and tie it up with red ribbon and sell it for $11.95, but you can make a whole sheet pan of it at home for about $8 and graze on it through the entire holiday season.
Peppermint Bark
-- Put the peppermint in a Ziploc bag and crush it with a hammer
-- Melt the chocolate candy coating (We do it over low heat on the stovetop)
-- Add 1/2 teaspoon of peppermint extract and stir it in while it's melting
-- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper
-- Spread the melted chocolate over the parchment paper into a thin layer and let it cool
-- Melt the white chocolate candy coating
-- Spread the melted white chocolate over the cooled layer
-- Sprinkle the crushed peppermint on top of the white chocolate layer before it hardens
-- Gently push the peppermint into the white chocolate layer so it will stick when it hardens
-- Let it cool, break it into pieces, and eat up!
This is good at room temperature or straight out of the freezer. And sometimes we'll add a chuck to some hot cocoa and stir it in, to give the drink a little something extra.
When you're making it, just don't use the hammer right on the granite because then you might have to add new countertops to your holiday wish list. Otherwise, it's a win.
We are big grazers during the holidays and keep trays of goodies out all the time so we can walk by and pop in something chocolatey and bite-sized whenever the mood strikes.
I keep hearing that seven pounds is the average holiday weight gain, and grazing on peppermint bark all day can surely help that process. We'll keep the sweet treat ideas coming so we can all achieve our holiday goals.