Holiday Chocolate Peppermint Espresso Martini Bark

“Hayley the Dietitian, what’s your favorite holiday recipe?” (If you didn’t get that reference, stop what you’re doing and go watch Elf). Anything with chocolate and peppermint screams the holiday season to me. Add in some espresso and little liquor and now it’s a holiday party.

I think we could all agree, we are all in need of a little extra cheer this holiday season. This Dark Chocolate Peppermint Espresso MARTINI Bark, yes, I said martini, is a guaranteed way to add some holiday joy to your day!

Dark Chocolate Peppermint Espresso Martini Bark

Ingredients

½ cup crushed dark chocolate covered espresso beans

½ cup crushed candy canes

2 dark chocolate bars

2 tsp coconut oil

1 tsp vanilla

2 oz’s of Vodka

1 oz of Kahlua

Sea Salt

Parchment Paper

Directions

1. Soak the espresso beans in 1 oz of Vodka and 1 oz of Kahula for about 2-3 hours in the fridge.
2. Soak the crushed canes in 1 oz Vodka for about 2-3 hours in the fridge.
3. Once the espresso beans and crushed candy canes have finished soaking strain the liquid over a fine-mesh sieve and a cup below the sieve. It’s important to get most of the liquid out of the espresso beans and candy canes as liquor does not freeze, the bark may not form properly if you do not strain it completely.
4. Save the liquid, you’ll use this to make a peppermint espresso martini.
5. Melt the dark chocolate bars with coconut oil and vanilla in the microwave for about 1 minute, stir, and then return to the microwave for another minute. You may need to do more and less depending on your microwave wattage.
6. Line a baking pan with parchment paper. Pour the melted chocolate onto the baking pan, spreading evenly. Top with the crushed espresso beans and crushed candy canes. Sprinkle with sea salt and freeze for 1-2 hours until frozen.
7. While the bark is freezing, use the leftover liquid from soaking the espresso and candy canes to make a martini. Combine the liquid with 1 oz of espresso in a shaker glass full of ice, shake, and strain over a martini glass.
8. Once frozen, break the bark apart, turn on some holiday tunes and enjoy with your martini!

*Note you can make this recipe without the alcohol simply skip to step 5 of the recipe.