Smiley's Kitchen: Peppermint Bark

Well, it's after Christmas. If anything, you end up with so many peppermint sticks. Personally, this always happens every year for me. I always end up either giving it to my kids (nephews, nieces, etc).

As with most of my postings, this recipe is for one batch. Most of the pictures are demonstrating a double batch of the peppermint bark.

Ingredients:

1 6oz package semisweet or dark chocolate
1 6oz package white chocolate
5 medium sized peppermint candy cane
2 tsp oil (either vegetable, corn or canola oil is fine)

First, start by lining the baking dish with foil. Make sure that you are living into each crevice of your baking dish. Once done, place off to the side. Don't add any oil or cooking spray at all to the foil.

Make a double boiler with a medium sized pot full of water. Place onto the stove and on low heat.

While the pot is heating up, start to chop up the semisweet or dark chocolate. Remember, in order for it to melt faster, you need to chop up in even pieces. Add one teaspoon of the oil to the chocolate. This helps keep the shine to the chocolate.

Place the chocolate into the boiling pot and start the process of melting the chocolate. Once all melted, transfer the chocolate onto the foil lined baking dish. Spread the chocolate into every corner assuring that the chocolate is evenly spread out. Place this into the refrigerator allowing to harden for about 25 to 30 minutes.

While that is cooling, you can start to crush the candy canes. I am using the mallet in order to crush the canes. Once done, place off to the side.

Do the same thing to your white chocolate that you did with the semisweet chocolate. Chop up, place some oil and onto a double boiler. Keep an eye to the white chocolate. Sometimes, it tends to scorch. Once melted, take out the hardened dark chocolate. Spread the white chocolate making sure you don't want to mix (since the white chocolate is fairly hot). Now you are ready to assemble!!

After you have spread the white chocolate, add the crushed peppermint to the chocolate. Take the peppermint bark to the refrigerator allowing too set for about 25-30 minutes.

Now you are ready to make some cut pieces. Peel the foil off the peppermint bark. There is no rhyme or reason to cut the chocolate. You will notice that some of it will just break while you are cutting with the knife.