Peppermint Bark Layered Dessert

This Christmas, serve your guests a treat they will remember. This decadent Peppermint Bark Layered Dessert is served in adorable Mini Mason Jars filled with White Chocolate Mousse and Flourless Chocolate Cake and is topped with Peppermint Bark Chips.

Peppermint Bark is a holiday favorite and I thought it would be fun to make a twist on this holiday classic. Instead of making chocolate bark, I chose to use the flavors of this candy in a layered mousse cake.

I started by baking flourless chocolate cakes in mini mason jars. This chocolate layer is really rich and creamy and it pairs beautifully with white chocolate mousse which made the perfect second layer.

Of course, the dessert had to have peppermint pieces on top so I sprinkled crushed candy canes over the mousse layer.

Being we are having an open house on Christmas Eve and we have guests come and go throughout the party, I chose to make these into individual-sized desserts.

I made these Peppermint Bark Desserts in mini mason jars. The mini desserts look pretty and taste great.

I know they'll be a huge hit with our Christmas party guests.

Ingredients

Flourless Chocolate Cake Layer:

• 6 large eggs
• 13 ounces good quality semi-sweet chocolate finely chopped
• 1 ½ sticks butter 6 ounces, cut into small pieces

White Chocolate Mousse Layer:

• 1 teaspoon gelatin powder
• 1 tablespoon water
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream divided
• 8 ounces white chocolate finely chopped

Candy Cane Layer:

• 8 candy canes or 4 ounces starlight mints

Supplies

• 18 small mason jars or ramekins
• double boiler

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

• Crack 6 eggs into a mixing bowl.

• Beat until doubled in volume.
• This will take between 3-5 minutes depending on whether you do it by hand using a whisk, or by using a hand held mixer or a stand mixer.

• Fill the bottom pot of a double boiler with 1 inch of water.
• Add top bowl and place chopped chocolate and butter inside.
• Heat over low heat, stirring the chocolate often, until melted.

• Slowly drizzle melted chocolate into the eggs, stirring to incorporate it all.
• I poured it in with my mixer on low.
• If you add too much warm chocolate all at once, you can cook the eggs, so go slowly, at least at first.

• Bring a pot of water to a boil.
• Set 18 small mason jars or ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet or in a roasting pan.
• Equally divide the flourless chocolate cake batter among the jars. I used a #16 scoop, but needed about 2 teaspoons more in each jar.
• Tap down the cake batter, and wipe the edges of the jar clean.

• Place baking sheet in oven and carefully pour the boiling water into the pan, allowing the water to go half way up around the cake batter.

• Bake for 18-22 minutes until an instant-read thermometer inserted into one of the cakes registers 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Don't have a thermometer (you should really get one,) just bake until the cakes no longer look really wet.
  • You don't want to over bake these cakes.
  • They should have the texture of cheesecake once cooled.
  • They will sink slightly in the middle as they cool.

• After the flourless chocolate cakes are completely cooled, make the white chocolate mousse.
• Pour a tablespoon of water into a small bowl and sprinkle on the 1 teaspoon of gelatin.
• Allow it to bloom for 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, clean out your double boiler bowl.
• Pour ¾ cup heavy whipping cream into a bowl and set over a pot filled with 1 inch of water.
• Heat on low until warm. Add gelatin, and stir until dissolved.

• Add white chocolate and stir.
• When half of the chocolate is melted, remove from the heat.
• Let it sit for about 2 minutes, then stir until melted.
  • If it doesn't all melt, heat for a minute or so longer.

• Pour melted white chocolate into a large mixing bowl, preferable one with a spout.
• Allow it to cool for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, whisk the remaining 1 ¼ cups of heavy whipping cream to soft peaks.
• Fold ⅓ of the whipped cream at a time into the melted white chocolate until light and fluffy.

• Crush the candy canes into small pieces.
• I put my canes in a gallon-sized zip-top bag and smashed them with my meat mallet.
• A rolling pin or the back of a pan will work just as well.

• Pour white chocolate mousse over the cooled chocolate cakes.
• Sprinkle on crushed candy canes.

• Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
• Allow to sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes before serving.

I plan to cover my jars with the lids and place them in the freezer until December 23rd.

Then I'll refrigerate them until just before our open house on Christmas eve.

Before the guests arrive, I'll remove the lids and place them on the table.

My mom, who is a huge peppermint bark fan, just stopped by and I gave her a dessert to try. She gave it two thumbs up and is looking forward to enjoying another one on Christmas Eve. Me too.

Variations

If you like the idea of making an individual-sized dessert, you might also enjoy making these Candy Cane Mousse Cups. Each dessert is filled with peppermint mousse and is served in a white chocolate cup.

Related Recipes

Starlight Mint Mousse Cake

Chocolate Raspberry Mousse Cake

Red, White, and Blue No-bake Cheesecakes

Triple Layer Chocolate Cherry Mousse Cake

Be sure to check out all my fun Christmas Recipes!

Recipe

Print

Peppermint Bark Dessert

Prep Time

40 mins

Cook Time

22 mins

Total Time

1 hr 2 mins

 

Fill mini mason jars with Peppermint Bark Layered Dessert - flourless chocolate cake, white chocolate mousse, and candy cane bits.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: christmas desserts, mini cakes, peppermint bark

Servings: 18 Jars

Author: Beth Klosterboer

Ingredients

Flourless Chocolate Cake Layer:

• 6 Eggland's Best large eggs
• 13 ounces good quality semi-sweet chocolate finely chopped
• 1 ½ sticks butter 6 ounces, cut into small pieces

White Chocolate Mousse Layer:

• 1 teaspoon gelatin powder
• 1 tablespoon water
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream divided
• 8 ounces white chocolate finely chopped

Candy Cane Layer:

• 8 candy canes or 4 ounces starlight mints

Special Supplies Needed:

• 18 small mason jars or ramekins
• double boiler

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Crack 6 Eggland's Best eggs into a mixing bowl.
3. Beat 3-5 minutes, until doubled in volume, using a whisk, hand held mixer, or a stand mixer.
4. Fill the bottom pot of a double boiler with 1 inch of water.
5. Add top bowl and place chopped chocolate and butter inside.
6. Turn heat onto low, stirring the chocolate often, until melted.
7. Slowly drizzle melted chocolate into the eggs, stirring to incorporate it all. I poured it in with my mixer on low. If you add too much warm chocolate all at once, you can cook the eggs, so go slowly, at least at first.
8. Bring a pot of water to a boil.
9. Set 18 small mason jars or ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet or in a roasting pan. Equally divide the flourless chocolate cake batter among the jars.
10. Tap down the cake batter, and wipe the edges of the jar clean.
11. Place baking sheet in oven and carefully pour the boiling water into the pan, allowing the water to go half way up around the cake batter.
12. Bake for 18-22 minutes until an instant read thermometer inserted into one of the cakes registers 140 degrees Fahrenheit. If you don't have a thermometer just bake until the cakes no longer look really wet. Do not overbake.
13. After the cakes are completely cooled, make the white chocolate mousse.
14. Pour a tablespoon of water into a small bowl and sprinkle on the 1 teaspoon of gelatin.
15. Allow it to bloom for 5 minutes.
16. Meanwhile, clean out your double boiler bowl.
17. Pour ¾ cup heavy whipping cream into bowl and set over pot filled with 1 inch of water.
18. Heat on low until warm.
19. Add gelatin, and stir until dissolved.
20. Add white chocolate and stir. When half of the chocolate is melted, remove from the heat. Let it sit for about 2 minutes, then stir until melted. If it doesn't all melt, heat for a minute or so longer.
21. Pour melted white chocolate into a large mixing bowl, preferably one with a spout. Allow it to cool for 10 minutes.
22. Meanwhile, whisk the remaining 1 ¼ cups of heavy whipping cream to soft peaks. Fold ⅓ of the whipped cream at a time into the melted white chocolate until light and fluffy.
23. Crush the candy canes into small pieces.
24. Pour white chocolate mousse over the cooled chocolate cakes.
25. Sprinkle on crushed candy canes.
26. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
27. Allow to sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes before serving.

• Author
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Beth Klosterboer

Hi, I'm Beth Klosterboer, a professional chocolatier & baker, cookbook author, and event planner. I love sharing recipes for happy occasions here on Hungry Happenings. I also create easy fudge recipes to share at HowToMakeEasyFudge.com, rice krispie treat recipes at HowToMakeCerealTreats.com, and easy cookie recipes at HowToMakeEasyCookies.com

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