Peppermint Bark Brownies
5.0
(5)
Every holiday season the one gift I buy for myself is a tin of original peppermint bark from Williams-Sonoma. With defined layers of dark chocolate, white chocolate, and craggy bits of crushed peppermint, this luxe peppermint bark—which costs $30 a tin—is infinitely superior to any convenience store version (trust me, I’ve tried them all). It’s definitely a splurge, but it’s so, so worth it.
This year I’m channeling that holy trinity of flavors—deep, rich dark chocolate, milky white chocolate, and sharp peppermint—into a dessert I can give to friends and family (because let’s face it, I can only afford so many $30 tins of peppermint bark). I swapped the solid dark chocolate base for a super-fudgy, rich, and chocolaty brownie. It’s made with both Dutch-process cocoa powder (Hershey’s Special Dark is my personal favorite) and melted dark chocolate, plus a teaspoon of instant espresso powder to heighten the chocolate flavor (you can skip it if you don’t have any on hand, but I love how it deepens the flavor of the chocolate). As for the white chocolate layer, I’ve opted for a silky white chocolate ganache—make it on the same double-boiler you used for the brownie batter or zap it in the microwave. Either way, go for a high-quality white chocolate, such as the Choc-au-Lait from Guittard (which also happens to be the brand Williams-Sonoma uses in its signature bark). A bit of peppermint extract balances the sweetness of the white chocolate and gives the ganache that requisite holiday flavor. And for a final touch, crushed candy canes finish the brownies with a dazzling, festive look.
I’ll still be buying my requisite tin of peppermint bark, but I’ll happily bake batch after batch of these party-ready brownies too.
Planning a holiday baking marathon? Fill out the tin with festive cookies and make yourself a cup of hot cocoa while you’re at it.
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What you’ll need
Peppermint Extract
$15 At Amazon
8-Inch Baking Pan
$26 $24 At Amazon
Candy Canes
$8 At Amazon
Recipe information
Total Time
1 hour 10 minutes (plus 1½–2 hours chilling)
Yield
Makes 16
Ingredients
Brownies
Ganache and assembly
Preparation
Brownies
Step 1
Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly coat an 8x8" baking pan with nonstick vegetable oil spray; line with a sheet of parchment paper in each direction, leaving generous overhang on all sides. Whisk ½ cup (63 g) all-purpose flour, ⅓ cup (35 g) Dutch-process cocoa powder, 1½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1 tsp. Morton kosher salt, and ¼ tsp. baking soda in a medium bowl to combine; set aside. Whisk 3 large eggs, room temperature, and 2 tsp. vanilla extract in a measuring glass to combine; set aside.
Step 2
Place ¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, cut into ½" pieces, in a medium heatproof bowl; top with 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar and ¼ cup (packed; 50 g) dark brown sugar. Set over a medium saucepan of gently simmering water (bottom of bowl should not touch water) and heat, stirring occasionally, until melted and smooth (if butter starts to separate, whisk until it comes back together), about 4 minutes. Remove bowl from heat; reserve pan with water if you want to use it for making the white chocolate ganache. Add 6 oz. bittersweet chocolate chips (about 1 cup) and 1 tsp. instant espresso powder to butter mixture and let sit 30 seconds. Whisk until chocolate is melted. Add reserved egg mixture and whisk until no streaks remain. Sift in reserved dry ingredients and fold with a rubber spatula until just incorporated and no dry streaks remain. (Take care not to overmix as it will result in cakey brownies.)
Step 3
Scrape batter into prepared pan and spread into an even layer. Bake brownie until the top is shiny (but not wet), slightly crackly, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean, 30–35 minutes, Transfer pan to a wire rack and let brownie cool in pan at least 15 minutes.
Ganache and assembly
Step 4
While the brownie is cooling, return reserved pan of water to a gentle simmer. Combine 8 oz. white chocolate chips (about 1⅓ cups), ¼ cup heavy cream, and ¼ tsp. Diamond Crystal or Morton kosher salt in a medium heatproof bowl and set over pan (bottom of bowl should not touch water). Heat, stirring occasionally, until melted and smooth, about 6 minutes. (Alternatively, you can melt in 15-second bursts in the microwave, stirring after each burst.) Remove bowl from heat and whisk in ½ tsp. pure peppermint extract.
Step 5
If the edges of the brownie puffed in the oven, use a spatula to press them down to create a level surface. Pour white chocolate ganache over brownie and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle with 3 candy canes, coarsely crushed into irregular pieces. Chill until ganache is set, 1½–2 hours (if you’re in a hurry, you can chill in the freezer 30 minutes instead).
Step 6
To serve, lift brownie out of pan using parchment overhang and transfer to a cutting board. Using a chef’s knife, slice into a 4x4 grid to make 16 squares, running knife under hot water and wiping dry with a towel after each cut.
Do Ahead: Brownie can be made 3 days ahead. Leave in pan; cover and chill.
Recipe notes
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