What makes these festive truffles so much better than actual peppermint bark? It could be the creamy dark-chocolate center. Or the fact that it’s not bark, but a ball. Or maybe because it was created by an “awesome 15-year-old”.. (that sounded a tad cocky..) 
Perhaps you could find a “peppermint truffle” recipe similar to mine over the internet, but I haven’t checked. Next time you’re craving peppermint, or the bark form of it, I suggest you check this out. It’s a better alternative.
This truffle, included in the gift bags I gave to my family (see here: The Gift of Christmas Truffles) , was a big hit. Such a hit in fact, that I am claiming it to be better than peppermint bark, which is a treat my aunts and I always make every Christmas due to the fact that it is so darn good.
Peppermint Bark Truffles:
- 10 oz Dark Chocolate
- 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp Heavy Cream
- 1 1/3 tbsp Butter
- 7 oz White Chocolate
- 4 candy canes
- 1 1/2 tsp Peppermint Extract
Makes about 35 Truffles. Preparation time: 7 hours
Finely chop the dark chocolate.
Roughly chop the dark chocolate.
Cut the butter into small chunks and place them over the chocolate.
Heat the heavy cream on low heat until bubbles begin to form around the edges, stirring occasionally.
Heating the heavy cream.
Heat until bubbles form around the edges.
Pour the hot heavy cream over the chocolate. Let it sit for 30 seconds. Whisk until the chocolate and butter is melted. If the chocolate doesn’t completely melt, put the mixture back on the stove over low heat until it does.
Whisk the heavy cream and chocolate until chocolate melts.
Refrigerate the ganache for no less than 4 hours, or until hard.
Using a spoon, scoop out spoonfuls of ganache and roll them into balls using your hands. If the mixture is too hard and/or crumbly, let it sit out until it becomes soft enough to easily mold. Place the balls on a tray lined with wax or parchment paper. Place the balls in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or until hard.
A nice chunk of chocolate ganache.
The ganache has been rolled to roughly look like a ball.
Grind the candy canes in a blender.
Finely chop the white chocolate and temper it. The easiest way to temper would be to heat the chocolate in the microwave set on high in 30 second intervals. Keep heating it until it almost completely melts, but you can still see small chunks. To get rid of those chunks, mix the chocolate with a spoon until they melt.
Finely chop the white chocolate.
Tempered White Chocolate
Mix the peppermint extract into the melted chocolate.
Dip each ganache ball in the melted white chocolate. I found that the best way to do this is to take a spoonful of the melted chocolate, and roll the ball, speared with a pick or fork, in the chocolate-filled spoon. Immediately after dipping the truffle, sprinkle some of the crushed candy cane over the ball.
The ganache ball hangs above the white lake of doom.
A good technique to use is to roll the ball in a spoonful of the white chocolate.
The coated truffle is given another coating of crushed candy cane.
After each truffle is given a coating of white chocolate and candy, let them sit out until they harden, for about 12 minutes.
They are now ready to be eaten, packaged, refrigerated, or even left out. Enjoy their deliciousness!
Buon Appetito!
I am going to make these! They look delicious and not too hard…!
Wodnerful! Thanks, Mrs. Banks. Tell me how it goes!
These truffles are so good that in some circles they are called “truffle crack.”
Haha! “truffle crack”! We’re lucky our family has the guts to call it that, even around little ones!