Peppermint Bark

No blogging for me, yesterday. I spent the day taking care of two of the Little Sweethearts, including attending the Thanksgiving program for a group of four-year olds. There is nothing like hearing a song about Mr. Turkey's head going wobble, wobble and Mr. Turkey saying 'gobble, gobble'. It can't help but bring a smile to your face and a lift to your heart.
Then, in the evening, the Little Sweethearts Daddy and I went to a cooking class. Topic: Sauces (chicken stock, beef stock, veloute sauce, hollandaise). Great class where little tidbits of information are tossed out, such as: always wash your eggs before you crack them (wash with mixture of water and baking soda). Reason: in the chicken coop, chickens are stacked one on top of the other. Imagine what is falling on the eggs below said same chickens.
I digress. This post is at Megan's request. If you've had William-Sonoma's very tasty peppermint bark (at an exorbitant amount per pound), this recipe is every bit as good (and NOT an exorbitant amount per pound). So easy to make, and you'll impress the heck out of anyone who is lucky enough to know you well enough to receive some. Makes a great 'little something' to give and it is soooo pretty.



Peppermint Bark


Important to use good quality chocolate and white chocolate.


12 oz. chocolate chips (I use Ghirardelli, 60% cacao bittersweet)
16 oz. white chocolate, chopped (I use the Ghirardelli bars -- 4 of them)
1/2 t. peppermint extract (Important to get peppermint. Do not use mint.)
1/2 Cup candy canes, crushed (see Note)

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
Line 9x13 pan with alum. foil, letting it hang over the sides.
Butter the foil.
Pour chocolate chips in an even layer on the foil.
Place in oven for 5 minutes or until almost melted.
Remove from oven; smooth with an offset spatula or knife.
Place in refrigerator until cold and firm; about 20 minutes.

Melt the white chocolate in a glass bowl, set over a pan of simmering water, until chocolate is almost melted.
Remove bowl from pan and stir until completely melted.
Stir in peppermint extract.
Let cool a bit, so it does not melt the chocolate layer when you pour it on top.
Pour the white chocolate mixture over the chocolate layer. Work quickly, spreading to cover the chocolate layer.
Sprinkle with the crushed candy canes.

Chill until both layers are firm. Lift foil out of pan and shake off excess candy.

Cut into pieces. Very difficult to get 'even' pieces. You'll get all different shapes. The recipe I have says to cut into 2" wide strips and then into smaller pieces. I just start in and cut pieces. However the size turns out, it turns out. Life is way too short to obsess over specific size pieces of peppermint bark.


Note: Use the traditional red/white, peppermint candy canes, does not matter what size. To crush the candy canes, place a few in a ziploc bag and seal. Using a hammer, crush the canes. The recipe calls for 1/2 Cup. I have never measured. I just 'crush and sprinkle' until I think there is enough.

ETA: Fabulous Son #1 tells me that he used a pizza cutter to cut the bark right after he removed it from the frig (after the white chocolate and candy canes firmed up). He tells me that he had no problem cutting the bark into uniform size pieces. And, I heard directly from Little Sweetheart #1 that the bark was VERY good. She, of the sweet tooth gene transfer..............