A Brief History of Peppermint Bark & a Recipe for Peppermint Bark Brownies

Peppermint bark candy, that chocolate confection that combines peppermint candy and layers of dark and white chocolate, has its roots in France. 

All the way back in the Middle Ages, French bakers made “mendiants,” confections with traditional toppings that reflected four Roman Catholic mendicant monastic orders (and the colors of their robes): the Augustinians (dried figs, purple), Franciscans (raisins, gray) Dominicans (almonds, white) and Carmelites (hazelnuts, brown).

Mendiant roughly translates into “beggars of alms,” referring to monks to who took a vow of poverty in order to preach. Mediants were symbolic of coins or small amounts of food given to the monks. 

In the United States, mendiants morphed into peppermint candy bark—the concept is the same, with a twist: a layer each of chocolate and white chocolate is sprinkled with peppermint candy. 

In the 1960’s, a St. Petersburg, FL department store is credited with selling the first commercial peppermint bark. The Maas Brothers stores sold pretzel or peppermint bark described as “delicious, zippy snappy peppermints in a creamy butter-cocoa cover.”

Chocolate Brownies with Peppermint Bark Recipe

Peppermint bark is great to eat all by itself, but you can also use it in recipes . . . like this one from Ghirardelli for Chocolate Brownies with Peppermint Bark:

Servings: 18 squares

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Chips
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter (12 tablespoons)
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
8 Ghirardelli Peppermint Bark Squares chocolates, chopped into large chunks (for the brownies)
18 Ghirardelli Peppermint Bark Squares chocolates, broken in to large chunks (about 8 pieces per square) (for the finishing)

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Line a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with foil and grease with pan spray.
  3. In a medium saucepan, bring 2 inches of water to a gentle simmer.
  4. Put the 60% Ghirardelli Chocolate Chips and butter in a heatproof bowl and set it over (but not touching) the simmering water.
  5. Stir the mixture with a rubber spatula until the better is melted and both ingredients are completely combined.
  6. Turn off the heat and leave the bowl over the warm water.
  7. Sift together the flour and baking powder and set aside.
  8. In a large bowl whisk together eggs, salt, sugar and vanilla.
  9. Add the egg mixture to the chocolate mixture and whisk together gently.
  10. With a spatula, fold in the flour. Immediately pour ½ the mixture into the prepared baking pan and spread it evenly.
  11. Next, sprinkle the chopped peppermint bark over the batter and then pour the remaining batter over this. Spread evenly.
  12. Bake for 15-20 minutes. The center should be fudge-like but not dry.
  13. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes.
  14. Place Peppermint Bark chunks on top of warm brownies and allow them to soften for 1 minute.
  15. Using a spatula, gently swirl the melting Peppermint Bark to create swirls of melted chocolate.
  16. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
  17. Trim the 4 edges of the brownies by 1/4 inch. Cut into 18 squares.

Recipe and photo credit: Ghirardelli

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