This mint candy treat would be perfect for your upcoming St. Urho’s Day or St. Patrick’s Day celebration. Most of us know about St. Patrick’s Day and that green is the color of the day, thus many green mint desserts and drinks, but “Who is St. Urho?” you ask.
St. Urho is a legend originating in Minnesota and celebrated the day before St. Patrick’s Day. The legend says St. Urho chased the grasshoppers out of ancient Finland, thus saving the grape crop and the jobs of Finnish vineyard workers. His feast is celebrated by wearing the colors Royal Purple and Nile Green. St. Urho is usually represented with grapes and grasshoppers as part of the picture, so I think a green grasshopper treat fits. Eat some grapes or drink some wine to go with it if you must.
Grasshopper Mint Bark is pretty easy.
Melt some chocolate, layer it, let it chill, chop it up, eat.
Grasshopper Mint Bark
Ingredients:
- 16 ounces of white chocolate, finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon mint extract (not peppermint)
- a drop or two of green food coloring
- 16 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped (2 and 2/3 cups chocolate chips)
- about 5 ounces of Andes Creme d Menthe Thins (a standard box is 4.67 ounces, the bag is 8.5 ounces)
*For the white chocolate, I used a combination of Baker’s White Chocolate and Ghirardelli white chocolate bars. I used chocolate chips for the semi-sweet chocolate.
*The Andes Mints are optional. The bark would taste great even without them.
Instructions:
- Gather your ingredients and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Melt the white chocolate low and slow in a double boiler or a heat-proof bowl or pot set over another pot half full of water or use the microwave in small increments and reduced power. (Tip: The water in the lower pot of the double boiler or makeshift double boiler should not touch the upper bowl or pot. It should simmer just below the bowl or pot.)
- While the white chocolate is melting, measure your semi-sweet chocolate into another bowl or pot. Unwrap and coarsely chop the mint candies.
- When the white chocolate is melted, set it aside for a few minutes to cool slightly. Add mint extract and a few drops of food color until desired color is reached, stirring well. (Tip: Take it easy on the mint extract. It is powerful and too much can make your treat go from delicious to medicine-like very quickly. You can always taste and add more if needed, but you cannot mellow it once you have gone too far.)
- Use a spatula or the back of a spoon to spread the white chocolate out smooth and even onto the parchment paper lined pan. Spread to desired thickness. Refrigerate for about 15 minutes until almost set.
- Meanwhile, melt the semi-sweet chocolate in the double boiler or microwave in the same fashion as described above for the white chocolate.
- Once the semi-sweet chocolate is melted, set it aside for a few minutes to cool slightly. Pour it over the chilled white (now green) chocolate and spread to an even thickness, completely covering the lower layer. Sprinkle with the chopped Andes mints, pressing gently if needed to make them stick. Refrigerate again for 30 minutes or until set.
- Once set, cut or break the bark into uneven pieces. I don’t need to tell you what to do with all those extra crumbs, do I? I’ll give you a hint–ice cream!
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator or at room temperature.
Source: Brown-eyed Baker
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