Peppermint Bark

Welcome to Baking Extravaganza Day 3! At some point you just can't make cookies any more. Maybe you're out of flour, maybe you're out of eggs, or maybe you just don't feel like waiting in front of your stove for a minute longer. Well, you're in luck with this recipe. 

I used to sell Peppermint Bark when I worked retail - it came in a beautiful tin, but was really over-priced. So make your own! You'll save some money and homemade means no one is allowed to comment on how it looks. 

Peppermint Bark

The bark will taste better the higher quality chocolate you use. I normally have nothing against Nestle, it’s affordable, tastes great, and is always in stock. However, with a sale on Ghiradelli chips at my local Giant I splurged to give this bark an extra step up.

Ingredients:

1 bag white chocolate chips

1 bag chocolate chips, semi-sweet or dark chocolate

1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

5 candy canes, crushed

Equipment:

Cookie sheet, aluminum foil, microwave bowl

Melt the chocolate chips – either over a double boiler or in 30-second increments in the microwave, stirring well between intervals. Spread chocolate over foil creating a thin even layer; use an offset spatula or the back of a spoon to smooth over any clumps or thick parts. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

Melt the while chocolate chips using the same method above, stirring in the peppermint extract once chocolate is smooth. Feel free to increase to a full teaspoon if you’re a huge peppermint fan but remember you’re also adding candy canes at the end. Pour white chocolate over chocolate layer quickly, pouring as smoothly and evenly as you can. You might end up with a bit of a marbling effect as you try to even our your white chocolate layer as the heat from the white chocolate melts the chocolate. That’s ok, it just adds to the charm.

Add the crushed candy canes over the white chocolate layer while it’s still warm, then place tray in refrigerator for at least a half hour. Peel bark off aluminum foil and break into irregularly shaped pieces to serve. It will keep at least a week in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Enjoy!