Candy Cane Buttercrunch.
My peppermint bark glowup is this candy cane buttercrunch!
Carmelly, crunchy toffee that is basically topped with peppermint bark. I mean, how perfect is this?!
I’ve always gone back and forth on peppermint bark. I like it, I do.
I usually like a small piece every holiday season but it’s not something I totally lose my mind over, you know?
My favorite part is easily the crunch of the peppermints – we all know I’m such a texture freak!
So this buttercrunch – which is crunchy as all heck, is my dream. Super crispy and crunchy, but also chocolatey. And also pepperminty! You have to try it.
If you’re thinking this looks familiar, you’re right! I made this pumpkin buttercrunch last month for Thanksgiving and THIS is how obsessed I am with it. I needed two flavors of the buttercrunch in my life in two months. It’s 2020, so I mean, we deserve it. For sure.
The first layer is a traditional toffee. Butter, sugar, a drop of water. Some vanilla extract and peppermint extract if you really want to up the mint flavor.
You do boil it, but it’s super easy! If you head to instagram today, you can see me make it step-by-step on my stories.
The next layer is just melted chocolate with crushed candy canes on top! I like to swirl a bit of coconut oil into my chocolate because it helps keep it firm at room temperature. It’s not necessary, but it does help. And really, that’s it!
Top with the crushed peppermint and you’re good to go.
Cue all the exclamation points!
One of the reasons I love this is that it’s just DIFFERENT than peppermint bark, you know? In my millennial brain I just get so bored with the same things over and over. I love that this still has all the perks and flavor of peppermint bark, with a little modern twist.
It’s also PERFECT for cookie boxes! Earlier this week I had a moment of thinking I was going to cut down on my baking list this year, but since I’ve decided against it and am going full steam ahead. I can’t wait to drop off some treat boxes on friends’ doorsteps this weekend. This peppermint buttercrunch is the perfect thing to add because it can be broken into fun, tiny pieces and will stay fresh too.
Get on the peppermint buttercrunch train!
Candy Cane Buttercrunch
Candy Cane Buttercrunch
Ingredients
- 14 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
- 12 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- ¾ cup crushed candy cane or peppermint pieces
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Heat the butter, sugar, water and salt over medium heat in a saucepan fitted with a candy thermometer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture reaches 298 degrees F, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and peppermint extract.
- Immediately pour the mixture on the parchment paper and spread it out in an even thin layer. Let it cool completely.
- Melt the chocolate and coconut oil in the microwave. I like to do this in 30 second increments, stirring after each time. Once melted, pour the mixture over the set toffee layer. Sprinkle in the crushed candy canes.
- Let the chocolate layer set completely. You can store this in the fridge or at room temp. Break into pieces and serve!
Notes
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9 Comments on “Candy Cane Buttercrunch.”
Pinned to try! I believe your recipe won’t let me down :D
Cool Kitchen Utensils Review
Yes! Thinly spread toffee is the ultimate best. I don’t like thick toffee because it’s like trying to bite through floor tile. This is gorgeous, and the crushed peppermint sounds like an excellent addition.
My toffee layer cooled with a thin layer of butter on it. It just feels slick. I’m wondering if I put the chocolate down if it won’t really adhere? Thoughts?
this hasn’t happened to me before with this anne – how did it turn out?
Well I kept in the fridge and when I went to break it up into pieces some of the chocolate part did slide off the Toffee and didn’t really stay together 😩 but other parts did?? But oh my gosh, it is delicious! I did use the candy thermometer, but I’m not sure if it quite made it to 298, it didn’t seem like it got quite there but it did set up like toffee. That part tastes amazing. And my pan was kind of burnt at the bottom, and I stirred quite a bit, so I’m not sure how I could’ve cooked it more to get any hotter. Delicious. I made it again without the mint and stirred in peanuts at the end and will top with chocolate :) but it’s more “brittle-y” not toffee.
I attempted to make this today and my “toffee” was like melted fudge. I don’t own a candy thermometer, so I’m not sure if I let it go too long?
unfortunately you really can’t make this without a candy thermometer! it has to go to exactly 298 degrees to make sure the toffee layer will set. i’m thinking yours probably didn’t cook long enough but there is really no way to know without the thermometer!
Excellent & truly easy-Peasy. Very inexpensive to make as well…had to make a double batch cuz we annihilated the first batch I made yesterday!!! Yummmmm!
Tasted great! However the chocolate did not stick to the toffee… used a thermometer… not sure why? Any ideas what I should try?