Minted Rose Peppermint Bark

It is that beautiful time of year again. Where noses turn pink from cold, homes are dressed to the nines with holiday sparkle, and the flavor of peppermint finds its way into the most delightful of treats. One of my standby holiday sweets is Peppermint Bark, melted down white chocolate mixed with peppermint extract and chopped hard candy, it pretty much guarantees that it will satisfy your sweet tooth.

Last year I participated in McCormick’s 2012 Flavor Forecast, where I discovered the wonder that is Korean red pepper paste and the magical things it does to meats in marinades. This year they were kind enough to invite me to join once again with McCormick’s 2013 Flavor Forecast, and I couldn’t be more excited to share the information I’ve learned with you all and how it’s inspired me to give a new twist to a favorite old treat. I was able to have a chat with McCormick’s Chef Mark Garcia about the meaning and flavors behind the coming year’s forecast, and in summation, the highlights of the 2013 Flavor Forecast are:

• No Apologies Necessary: People are making the conscious
  decision to set aside time to cook flavorful, quality meals where they can
  simply enjoy the experience of eating.
• Personally Handcrafted: Home cooks are becoming more
  interested in creating their own signature ingredients and recipes, like
  making their own ketchups, relishes, and jams.
• Empowered Eating: Individuals are increasingly incorporating health-conscious meals & ingredients into their diet.
• Hidden Potential: Foodies are becoming more resourceful with
  ingredients, unearthing uses for parts of animals and plants that are
  often discarded or overlooked, like oxtails, the stems of herbs, or
  shank meat cuts.
• Global My Way: People are no longer limiting cultural
  ingredients to dishes particular to that ethnicity, but are beginning to
  use them in a whole host of new and creative dishes.

Inspired by the No Apologies Necessarytheme, I decided to make my own rose & allspice-flavored hard candy and use it in the peppermint bark instead of the traditional crushed candy canes. Taking the time to make the hard candy from scratch felt great, because I was able to make my dish just the way I wanted it rather than being stuck with the array of hard candies that are available at most supermarkets. And for me, cooking is a very zen experience, so it allowed me more time to relax and to have fun with what I was creating. And let me tell you, the final result was divine. White chocolate mixed with the mint, allspice, and rose flavors created a creamy spiced floral flavor I haven’t experienced in any other sweet.