Peppermint Bark (Sara Moulton)

By zircon50

Cook’s Notes
You can make bark with any kind of dried fruit or nuts – such as cranberries, apricots, pistachios and hazel nuts.
You can use chocolate chips, but then store in fridge before using because they will not set up as hard.

Ingredients

• 12 ounces (about 2 cups) 65% cacao dark chocolate, chopped, or chocolate chips
• 12 ounces (about 2 cups) white chocolate, chopped, or white chocolate chips
• 35 peppermint candies (about 1 cup crushed)

Preparation

Step 1

NOTE: PLEASE DO NOT CHILL THE BOTTOM DARK CHOCOLATE LAYER FOR MORE THAN 5 to 8 MINUTES (OR UNTIL IT JUST STARTS TO SET UP) OR THE WHITE CHOCOLATE LAYER WILL NOT STICK TO IT.

Unwrap the peppermint candies and place them in a food processor. Pulse on/off several times for 5-10 seconds each, until the candies are crushed into small pieces. Or, place the candies in a large resealable plastic bag and seal tightly. Use a rolling pin to roll/smash the candy canes until they are the size you desire.

Prepare a 13 x 9 x 2 cookie sheet by covering it with smooth aluminum foil.
Melt or temper* the dark chocolate. Pour the chocolate onto the prepared cookie sheet and use an offset spatula or knife to spread it to an even thickness, a little more than 1/8″ thick. The chocolate does not have to reach all sides of the sheet, as it will be broken up later anyhow. Place the tray in the refrigerator to firm up while you prepare the white chocolate.

While the dark chocolate hardens, melt or temper* the white chocolate. Stir in most of the candy bits, reserving about a quarter of the mixture to put on top.

Remove the tray from the refrigerator and spread the white chocolate in an even layer over the dark chocolate.

While the white chocolate is still wet, sprinkle the remaining candy cane pieces over the entire surface evenly. Press down very slightly to ensure they stick. Place the tray back in the refrigerator to firm up for 30 minutes.

Once the peppermint bark is completely set, break into small, uneven pieces by hand.