Paleo Peppermint Matcha Bark

 

I love a bit of peppermint bark, but this year I wanted to give it a bit of  a twist. The bottom layer is a beautiful crisp and crunchy peppermint dark chocolate, but the second layer is a deliciously soft (almost bordering on fudgy) matcha white chocolate. These textures combined with the ‘candy cane’ topping just make it scrummy!

It’s super fast to make and is delicious too.

Makes: Approx. 150g

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Setting Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

For the peppermint dark chocolate:

50g cacao
50g cacao butter
10 drops peppermint extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp coconut sugar

For the matcha white chocolate:

50g cacao butter
1/2 tsp matcha
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp cashew butter
1 tbsp raw honey

For the peppermint ‘crushed candy cane’:

25g dessicated coconut
2-3 drops peppermint extract
1/2 beetroot or 1 tbsp beetroot juice

Method:

1. Start by making your peppermint dark chocolate.  Place all of your ingredients into a medium sized heat proof bowl and place over a bain marie on a low heat.
2. Melt all of your ingredients but ensure that the coconut sugar does not dissolve! You want it to stay in tact as this will give your bark a beautiful ‘crisp’ and granular texture on it’s bottom layer.
3. Whilst your chocolate mix is melting grease and line a baking sheet with a little coconut oil.
4. Once all of the ingredients have melted and combined remove from the heat and pour onto the baking sheet. Place in the freezer immediately.
5. Now start on your matcha white chocolate. Repeat the bain marie process above.
6. Whilst the matcha chocolate is being made mix your dessicated coconut together with the peppermint extract, divide into two batches and soak one half of the mix with the beetroot juice. If like me you didn’t have any beetroot juice but did have a beetroot you can rub your dessicated coconut with thinly cut slices until you get the desired effect.
7. Once the chocolate mix has melted pour the melted chocolate mix on top of the existing set chocolate. Be as creative as you like with this and just have fun with it!
8. Place into the freezer for a few minutes so that it is lightly set. Sprinkle with the candy cane coconut and return to the freezer.
9. Once fully set remove from the freezer, lift the bark away from the parchment paper and drop it.Yes just smash that stuff up and there you have it! Paleo Peppermint Bark with a twist!