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Easy Christmas Crafts for Kids: Peppermint Bark Snowflakes

Updated on May 6, 2015
VirginiaLynne profile image

Virginia has been experimenting in the kitchen for almost 50 years. She loves to share her recipes, cooking tips, and reviews.

Peppermint Bark Snowflakes

Chocolate and mint make a wonderful combination. I saw these in a Wilton kit and bought them, but they didn't taste as good as my own peppermint bark. Plus, I knew that I could make them cheaper if I did them on my own. I love having my kids make the gifts that we give to friends, neighbors and teachers.

Peppermint Chocolate Snowflakes

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Cookie Cutter Peppermint bark packaged to give as a gift. Step One:  Crush Peppermints using a small blender.  Or you can buy already crushed candies in the cooking aisle.  I've used candy canes, soft peppermints and these round ones.  The round ones crush the easiest even though they seem harder.Pour the crushed peppermint in a bowl.Step Two:  Melt the Candy Melts or Chocolate Bark.   Melt right in the bag or in a bowl one minute on high.  Then knead the bag  (or stir bowl) until everything is melted. Chocolate chips work too, althoug Nestle's don't melt as well as other brands Step 3: Cover a pan with foil and put cookie cutters in it about 1 inch apart.Step 4: Pour chocolate into cookie cutters.  I just snipped off the corner of the bag and squeezed it in each one about 1/4-1/3 full.  Here I'm pouring it in.  Tap the pan a little to help settle the chocolate into all the edges.  You can also use a toothpick to put chocolate in the corners.This shows the cookie cutters all filled.Step 5:  Make the White Chocolate Peppermint bark by melting 1 cup of white chocolate in the microwave 1 minute and stirring.  You can do this in the bag too, but you'll need to put it in a bowl to mix in the peppermints.Step 6:  Pour in about 1/3 cup crushed peppermints.  You can add more or less to taste.Mix this up.  It should be a light pink.  You can add a drop of cake food coloring to make it a darker pink if you want.Step 7: spoon the white chocolate peppermint into the cookie cutters on top of the dark chocolate.Use a toothpick to bring the white chocolate peppermint into the corners.You can sprinkle extra peppermints on top if you want.Put in the freezer until just set--about 5 minutes.  Take out of freezer and you can package up with a clear bag, or you can remove them from the cookie cutter first and then package them up.  They make a cute gift!Removing them from the cookie cutter.  Pull out a little on each of the cookie cutter sides until it separates from the chocolate.  Push from below.Peppermint Snowflake. Turn it over and push it all the way out.
Cookie Cutter Peppermint bark packaged to give as a gift.
Cookie Cutter Peppermint bark packaged to give as a gift. | Source
Step One:  Crush Peppermints using a small blender.  Or you can buy already crushed candies in the cooking aisle.  I've used candy canes, soft peppermints and these round ones.  The round ones crush the easiest even though they seem harder.
Step One: Crush Peppermints using a small blender. Or you can buy already crushed candies in the cooking aisle. I've used candy canes, soft peppermints and these round ones. The round ones crush the easiest even though they seem harder. | Source
Pour the crushed peppermint in a bowl.
Pour the crushed peppermint in a bowl. | Source
Step Two:  Melt the Candy Melts or Chocolate Bark.   Melt right in the bag or in a bowl one minute on high.  Then knead the bag  (or stir bowl) until everything is melted. Chocolate chips work too, althoug Nestle's don't melt as well as other brands
Step Two: Melt the Candy Melts or Chocolate Bark. Melt right in the bag or in a bowl one minute on high. Then knead the bag (or stir bowl) until everything is melted. Chocolate chips work too, althoug Nestle's don't melt as well as other brands | Source
Step 3: Cover a pan with foil and put cookie cutters in it about 1 inch apart.
Step 3: Cover a pan with foil and put cookie cutters in it about 1 inch apart. | Source
Step 4: Pour chocolate into cookie cutters.  I just snipped off the corner of the bag and squeezed it in each one about 1/4-1/3 full.
Step 4: Pour chocolate into cookie cutters. I just snipped off the corner of the bag and squeezed it in each one about 1/4-1/3 full. | Source
Here I'm pouring it in.  Tap the pan a little to help settle the chocolate into all the edges.  You can also use a toothpick to put chocolate in the corners.
Here I'm pouring it in. Tap the pan a little to help settle the chocolate into all the edges. You can also use a toothpick to put chocolate in the corners. | Source
This shows the cookie cutters all filled.
This shows the cookie cutters all filled. | Source
Step 5:  Make the White Chocolate Peppermint bark by melting 1 cup of white chocolate in the microwave 1 minute and stirring.  You can do this in the bag too, but you'll need to put it in a bowl to mix in the peppermints.
Step 5: Make the White Chocolate Peppermint bark by melting 1 cup of white chocolate in the microwave 1 minute and stirring. You can do this in the bag too, but you'll need to put it in a bowl to mix in the peppermints. | Source
Step 6:  Pour in about 1/3 cup crushed peppermints.  You can add more or less to taste.
Step 6: Pour in about 1/3 cup crushed peppermints. You can add more or less to taste. | Source
Mix this up.  It should be a light pink.  You can add a drop of cake food coloring to make it a darker pink if you want.
Mix this up. It should be a light pink. You can add a drop of cake food coloring to make it a darker pink if you want. | Source
Step 7: spoon the white chocolate peppermint into the cookie cutters on top of the dark chocolate.
Step 7: spoon the white chocolate peppermint into the cookie cutters on top of the dark chocolate. | Source
Use a toothpick to bring the white chocolate peppermint into the corners.
Use a toothpick to bring the white chocolate peppermint into the corners. | Source
You can sprinkle extra peppermints on top if you want.
You can sprinkle extra peppermints on top if you want. | Source
Put in the freezer until just set--about 5 minutes.  Take out of freezer and you can package up with a clear bag, or you can remove them from the cookie cutter first and then package them up.  They make a cute gift!
Put in the freezer until just set--about 5 minutes. Take out of freezer and you can package up with a clear bag, or you can remove them from the cookie cutter first and then package them up. They make a cute gift! | Source
Removing them from the cookie cutter.  Pull out a little on each of the cookie cutter sides until it separates from the chocolate.  Push from below.
Removing them from the cookie cutter. Pull out a little on each of the cookie cutter sides until it separates from the chocolate. Push from below. | Source
Peppermint Snowflake. Turn it over and push it all the way out.
Peppermint Snowflake. Turn it over and push it all the way out. | Source

Materials for Peppermint Bark Snowflakes

  1. Chocolate (melting candy chocolate is easiest, but you can use chocolate chips too, add a tiny bit of butter if they aren't melting well.
  2. White chocolate (white chocolate chips sometimes don't melt well, so candy bark is a better bet)
  3. peppermints
  4. cookie cutters
  5. foil
  6. clear bags, yarn and tags for wrapping (optional)

How to Make Peppermint Bark Snowflakes

Follow the picture steps above or the steps listed below:

Crush the peppermints in a food processor until they are fine pieces (or buy already crushed peppermints in the baking aisle).

Put the cookie cutters on top of foil.

Melt the chocolate right in the bag for about 30 seconds. Knead the bag, and continue heating for about 15 seconds at a time until everything is smooth and you don't feel any hard pieces.

  1. Melt the white chocolate in a container for about 30 seconds at a time, stir and heat for another 15 seconds and stir until completely smooth.
  2. Add the peppermints into the white chocolate and stir.
  3. Snip off a corner of the brown (or other colored) chocolate and pour into each cookie cutter until about 1/4-1/2 inch thick. Pat the pan on the counter until the chocolate is smooth.
  4. Spoon in the white chocolate with peppermint into each cookie cutter. Pat the pan on the counter again until that is smooth.
  5. You can add some sprinkles to decorate the top, or a swirl of dark chocolate.
  6. Put in freezer for 5 minutes or until firm.

Getting Chocolate Out of Cookie Cutter

To pop the candies out of the cookie cutters:

  1. Press against the sides of the cookie cutter until you hear it pop off the candy.
  2. Next, slowly push the candy out of the cookie cutter. Sometimes it works better to push it out the front, and other times it works better to push out the back.

The snowflakes are harder to push out than gingerbread men or other cookie cutters that don't have as delicate of points.

Chocolate Cookie Cutter Candy Ideas

There are lots of other ways you can make Cookie Cutter Chocolates. Here are some ideas:

  • Mix two different colors of chocolate either in layers or a swirl. Think about school colors, holiday colors or team colors.
  • Mix the white chocolate with crushed Oreos instead of peppermints.
  • Use chopped candies like Reeses in the white chocolate rather than peppermints.
  • Mix in some toffee bits into the chocolate instead of peppermints.
  • Put colored sprinkles on top of the white chocolate before hardening it in the freezer.

Chocolate Poll

What is your favorite chocolate treat?

See results

Candy Craft for Children

My kids range in age from 8 to 16, and they can make these all by themselves now. However, we've been making these sorts of gifts they were 3 to 4. Of course, little ones can't do every step, but you can let them help you with:

  • unwrapping peppermints
  • pushing the button on the blender
  • stirring
  • putting the cookie cutters on the foil
  • tapping the pan on the counter to see the chocolate fill up the cookie cutters

They can make gift cards to use and also help with the wrapping too. Once kids are school age, they can do all the steps on their own with adult supervision.

Cookie Cutter Candy Ideas

occasion
Candy
Cookie Cutter
Scout Troop meeting
colored chocolate
match badge troop is earning
Christmas Party
white chocolate and peppermint
snowflake or tree
Valentines
 
hearts
Halloween
orange chocolate
pumpkin
Thanksgiving
chocolate and orange chocolate
leaf
4th of July
red, white and blue chocolate
stars
Teenage party
match party theme
flowers, hearts, stars or theme
Easter
pastel chocolates
eggs. bunnies and flowers
Sports party
team colors
circles or ball shapes or letters for team name

Wilton Kit Review

Make it Faster: The Wilton kit to make Peppermint Snowflakes is a little expensive but makes the craft fast and easy. . The kit includes the cookie cutters, chocolate, white peppermint chocolate, clear gift bags, tags and string. Everything is included to make five snowflakes. You can also do like I did and buy the kit but then pop the chocolate snowflakes out of the cookie cutters so you can use them again later. I did find that the peppermint taste wasn't strong enough for me, so I added a few more crushed peppermints.

Snowflake Cookie Cutters

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