Peppermint Bark

I became addicted to peppermint bark a few years ago, and quickly realized that it was an absolute necessity to be able to make my own at home.  It is incredibly simple to make, and there certainly is no reason to spend upwards of $26.50 per pound on it at Williams-Sonoma.  Basically, all you need is a high quality dark chocolate, white chocolate, some peppermint extract, and a pack of candy canes.

I’ve experimented with a few recipes, and would say the main issue I run into is my dark and white chocolate layer separating when I break it into pieces.  I think it helps to cut it with a knife instead of attempting to break the bark apart with your hands, which for some reason, I usually end up doing.  

My other issues is that I generally enjoy the white chocolate layer more than the dark chocolate, and sometimes I’ll just pick it apart on purpose. For the recipe below, the dark and white chocolate layers are the same thickness.  But I think in the future, I would do half as much dark or twice as much white.   But that is just personal preference.  I’ve also experimented with adding peppermint extract to both layers, but usually just end up adding it to the white.

Peppermint Bark

11.5 oz bag of bittersweet chocolate chips (Guittard, Ghiradelli, etc)
11.5 oz bag of white chocolate chips (Guittard, Ghiradelli, etc)
½-1 teaspoon peppermint extract
2 teaspoon vegetable oil
6 candy canes, crushed

Line a 9 x 9 pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil.  Place bittersweet chocolate and 1 teaspoon of the vegetable oil in a bowl that fits over a pan of simmering water.  Melt and stir until smooth.  Pour into the prepared pan, and allow to harden and cool.  Next, place the white chocolate and the remaining 1 teaspoon vegetable oil in a clean bowl that fits over a pan of simmering water.  Melt and stir until smooth, then stir in the peppermint extract to taste.  Pour the white chocolate over the dark chocolate layer, and sprinkle with the crushed candy canes.  Allow to thoroughly cool, then cut into jagged triangle like pieces.