Peppermint Bark

By norsegal8

With its delicious white and dark chocolate layers, festive candy cane crunch, and refreshing peppermint flavor, this holiday candy is almost too good to give away.

Ingredients

• 2 2/3 cups Merckens bittersweet chocolate bar, chopped into coarse pieces
• 1/4 teaspoon peppermint oil
• 2 cups Merckens white chocolate bar, chopped into coarse pieces
• 1/4 cup peppermint crunch or finely chopped hard peppermint candies

Details

Servings 2

Preparation

Step 1

When chocolate chips melt, they're thicker, less pourable, and generally harder to handle than melted bars or chunks of chocolate. That's why we recommend bar chocolate, rather than chocolate chips, for this recipe.

1) Gently melt the dark chocolate, heating it on very low heat or over hot water until it barely melts

2) Stir in the peppermint oil, then spread it into an 8" x 12" oval on parchment paper or foil.

3) Allow the chocolate to set, but not harden completely.

4) Melt the white chocolate the same way, and mix it with about half the peppermint crunch.

5) Spread the white chocolate over the dark chocolate.

6) Sprinkle the rest of the peppermint crunch on top, pressing it in gently.

7) Allow the candy to cool until hardened, then break or cut it into chunks.

8) Store airtight at room temperature for up to a week; freeze for longer storage.

Yield: about 2 dozen pieces.

HANDY HINTS
OK, so I've made this recipe a ton of times - christmas after christmas and I think I've finally got the recipe figured. First, when chopping the chocolate, keep back about 5% of the chocolate. Melt the 95% in a double boiler over very very low simmering water. Melt the chocolate low and slow. When the chocolate is mostly melted, take it off the heat, add in the 5% and stir the balance until melted. Spread on parchment lined sheet pan. Pour onto sheet pan by making 3 or 4 passes while pouring the chocolate. Use an offset spatula and spread the chocolate as thick / thin as you like. Put the chocolate into the fridge and chill until just about set. This means if you put your finger onto the chocolate it is nearly firm and then there is a smidge of chocolate on your finger. Clean and make sure the pan is completely dry - water will seize the chocolate...and ruin everything... Melt the white chocolate super low and slow - same as the dark chocolate. Keep out the 5%, melt the 95%. Take it off the heat, melt the balance. Add 1/2 of peppermint sticks, stir, then pour over the dark chocolate using the three sweeping pours. Spread using the offset spatula (cleaned and dried) Add the balance peppermint sticks on top. Place chocolate in fridge to firm. If you use this approach - the layers will stick together and the chocolate shouldn't melt all over your fingers when you eat it. Also - I think 1/4 tsp is a good amount - a bit more precise than a couple of drops.... Enjoy!