Chocolate Dipped Peppermint Bark Food

CHOCOLATE-DIPPED PEPPERMINT BARK

Steps:

• Line an 8x8 inch baking pan with foil and spray with cooking spray. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper.
• Melt the white chocolate in a microwave-safe glass or ceramic bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring after each melting, until smooth; 1 to 2 minutes (depending on your microwave). Stir in crushed peppermint candy. Spread evenly in prepared 8x8 pan; refrigerate until firm, about 10 minutes. Break the bark into bite size pieces.
• Melt the semisweet chocolate with the shortening in a microwave-safe glass or ceramic bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring after each melting, until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Dip bark pieces 3/4 of the way into melted chocolate; shake off excess chocolate. Place on prepared baking sheet; refrigerate until set.

PEPPERMINT BARK

Steps:

• Start by getting everything prepped and ready to go. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or wax paper.
• Finely crush 3 candy canes. You can do this in the food processor or in a ziplock with a rolling pin. These candy canes are going to be stirred into the white chocolate, so you want to crush them pretty well.
• Coarsely crush 5-8 candy canes in a ziplock (a food processor will crush them too much). These ones are going to be sprinkled on top of the bark. Set aside.
• A word about chocolate. Be sure to buy high quality chocolate. Dark or semisweet is fine; I prefer dark. I like to use Ghirardelli, Guittard, or Nestle. If you are using chocolate chips, use 12 ounces. This is 2 cups of chocolate chips. If you are using a bar of chocolate, roughly chop it.
• Melt your chocolate. In a medium bowl, add 12 ounces dark or semi sweet chocolate. Add 1 teaspoon vegetable oil. Heat for 30 seconds on high in the microwave and stir. Heat for another 30 seconds and stir. Continue after this in 15 second increments, stirring each time. When the chocolate is glossy and mostly smooth, but still has lumps, do not microwave again. Just keep stirring until the final hard pieces melt.
• Add 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract and stir well.
• Pour the chocolate onto the prepared pan. Use an offset spatula to spread the chocolate into a large rectangle. Mine was about 11x15 inches. The larger your rectangle, the thinner your bark will be. I don't like super thick bark, I like it to be nice and thin (the easier to bite into). Drop the pan on the counter a few times to get out all the air bubbles.
• Set the pan of chocolate aside to set. You can put it in the fridge if you are in a hurry. Do not add the white chocolate layer until this layer has set.
• A word about white chocolate. Check the ingredients. If it does not list "cocoa butter" then it is not white chocolate. Most white chocolate chips do not have cocoa butter. It's best to buy a bar. I like the Ghirardelli white chocolate bars.
• Chop 12 ounces of high quality white chocolate.
• In a new bowl (or clean and dry the other one very well), add the white chocolate. Add 1 teaspoon vegetable oil.
• Microwave for 30 seconds and stir. Microwave another 30 seconds and stir. After that, heat in 15 second increments until there are still a few lumps. Then stir until the lumps are gone. White chocolate seizes even easier than regular chocolate, so be careful!
• Stir the finely crushed candy canes into the white chocolate. Pour the white chocolate over the top of the cooled dark chocolate. Use an offset spatula to spread almost all the way to the edge. The heat from the white chocolate might slightly melt the bottom layer, so be careful you don't smear them together.
• Immediately sprinkle the coarse candy canes on top. Let the bark cool at room temperature or stick it in the fridge. It takes about 30 minutes in the fridge.
• Once hardened, use a sharp chef's knife to slice the bark into pieces. I don't like to break the pieces apart by hand. As satisfying as it is, the white chocolate tends to separate from the dark chocolate that way.
• Enjoy! Keep in a sealed container at room temperature.
• You can freeze the bark for up to 3 months if it is well sealed. You do run the risk of white spots ("bloom") showing up on your chocolate. Thaw in the refrigerator to avoid this (there will be less condensation that way.)

CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT BARK - CHRISTMAS

Steps:

• Line a 9x12 pan with parchment paper.
• Melt the dark chocolate (use the method you prefer, either double boiler, or microwave - cook 30 seconds in a heat-proof bowl, stir and repeat until you have a smooth consistency.
• Pour the melted dark chocolate on the parchment paper, spread the chocolate out until it is about 1/3" thick. You can do this by hitting the pan on the countertop repeatedly, or maybe you could use a spatula to spread the chocolate.
• Melt the white chocolate, using the steps above. After the chocolate is smooth, pour it on top of the dark chocolate - trying to make the layers the same thickness. (it's best to do this step while the white chocolate is still very soft -- I've had them separate when I broke them into pieces, I think the layers "stick" together better if the white chocolate has not hardened).
• Unwrap the starlite mints, or peppermints of your choice and put them into a heavy duty ziplock bag. Using a hammer or meat tenderizer - crush the mints then, while the white chocolate is still melted sprinkle on top.
• Let the chocolates harden in the refrigerator for 2 hours, then break the candy into pieces. This needs to be stored in the refrgerator if you live in a warm/humid climate.

CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT BARK

Steps:

• Melt semi-sweet/dark chocolate in a double boiler or in a bowl over a pan of hot water.
• Line a 9"x13" dish with aluminum foil.
• Pour into dish and spread evenly. Chill.
• Melt white chocolate.
• Cruch candy canes in a plastic bag.
• Pour white chocolate on top of semi-sweet/dark chocolate and spread evenly.
• Sprinkle crushed candy cane pieces over white chocolate.
• Refrigerate until set.
• When chocolate is hardened, break into pieces.

PEPPERMINT BARK

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Unwrap the candy canes and place them in a food processor. Pulse on/off several times for 5 to 10 seconds each, until the canes have been crushed into small pieces.
• Alternately, place the candy canes in a large zip-close bag and seal tightly. Use a rolling pin to roll/smash the candy canes until they are the size you desire.
• Prepare a 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-inch 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 cane 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 lightly 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. Serve immediately or bring to your annual Christmas cookie swap and enjoy.

CHOCOLATE-DIPPED PEPPERMINT BARK

Steps:

• Line an 8x8 inch baking pan with foil and spray with cooking spray. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper.
• Melt the white chocolate in a microwave-safe glass or ceramic bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring after each melting, until smooth; 1 to 2 minutes (depending on your microwave). Stir in crushed peppermint candy. Spread evenly in prepared 8x8 pan; refrigerate until firm, about 10 minutes. Break the bark into bite size pieces.
• Melt the semisweet chocolate with the shortening in a microwave-safe glass or ceramic bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring after each melting, until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Dip bark pieces 3/4 of the way into melted chocolate; shake off excess chocolate. Place on prepared baking sheet; refrigerate until set.