Peppermint Bark: A Holiday Favorite

The best thing about the holidays isn't the gifts, the music, or the snowy weather. It's the peppermint bark, of course. It's fairly easy to make, it just takes some time but it's worth it. Peppermint bark is the perfect combination of chocolate and mint. It's only sold around Christmas time but here's a recipe that will have you (or at least me) making it year-round!

Ingredients

• 1 lb of milk or dark chocolate chips (you can also use tempered chocolate but it's easier to just get chcoolate chips)
• 1 lb of white chocolate chips
• 1 c of crushed candy canes

Time

It takes about 15 minutes to prep and 25-45 minutes for the chocolate to solidify

Instructions

Step One:

Crush your candy canes. Unwrap them first, then you can put them into a Ziploc bag and beat them with a hammer or go over them with a rolling pin. Or you can go caveman and just get a bat, as long as they are crushed into tiny pieces or larger chunks depending on your preference.

Step Two:

Melt your milk/dark chocolate chips. There are several ways to do this. My preferred method is lining a 9x13 pan with aluminum foil, spray the foil with non-stick and pour the chocolate chips onto the foil in an even layer. Place it in the oven of 250F for about 5 minutes or until it looks almost melted then remove it. Smooth the chocolate - it should have a smooth but kind of thick consistency, if it's really liquidy it was in the oven to long - with a spatula or knife. Another way to melt chocolate is to boil a pot of water, place a metal bowl over the water and pout the chocolate chips in it. The steam rising from the water will melt the chocolate. Once it melted pour it onto the pan covered with foil and smooth it with a spatula or knife.

Step Three:

Place your pan in the fridgerator. It will take 20-35 minutes for your chocolate to harden depending on the thickness.

Step Four:

While your milk/dark chocolate is hardining, prepare your white chocolate chips by melting them . You have to use the metal bowl method for this because you don't need two pans. You can melt chocolate in the microwave but it's very difficult to get the perfect time and it doesn't always turn out right so I really suggest just using boiling water.

Step Five:

Once your white chocolate is melted mix in about half of the crushed candy cane. You can also use peppermint extract but candy canes taste way better. Don't put your white chocolate in the fridge.

Step Six:

After 20-35 minutes remove your milk.dark chocolate from the fridge. Test to make sure its hard by using a tooth pick or fork. Your white chocolate should be cooled by now so it doesnt melt the bottom layer but still wet. Pour the white chocolate onto the brown chocolate and smooth it onto the surface with a spatula or knife.

Step Seven:

Sprinkle the remaining crushed candy canes onto the layer of white chocolate. You can press down slightly to ensure they stick.

Step Eight:

Put the pan back into the fridge so the white chocolate can harden, 20-30 minutes.

Step Nine:

Once it's hard you can break off pieces by hand or cut into squares, triangles, octogons, or any other shape you can make.

Step Ten:

Eat and enjoy. Don't forget to send me some.