Peppermint Bark Crunch Food

PEPPERMINT BARK CRUNCH

Steps:

• pour both bags of chips in microwave safe bowl.
• microwave,stirring after each minute.until thouroughly melted,approx. 3 minutes.
• when melted, stir in crushed candy canes.
• Line cookie sheet with wax paper.
• spread mixture onto cookie sheet.
• chill in refridgerator until firm.
• Break into pieces and serve.

ALMOST-FAMOUS PEPPERMINT BARK

Steps:

• Line a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with aluminum foil, shiny-side up; smooth out any wrinkles. Heat 1 inch of water in a saucepan over low heat until steaming.
• Put all but 3/4 cup of the semisweet chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Set the bowl over the saucepan of steaming water (do not let the bowl touch the water) and stir until one-third of the chocolate is melted. Remove the bowl from the saucepan; keep the steaming water over low heat. Gradually stir the reserved 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate into the bowl, a few pieces at a time, until all of the chocolate is melted. Return the bowl to the saucepan, 5 to 10 seconds at a time, to help melt the chocolate, if needed. Do not rush this step: It may take up to 10 minutes to melt the chocolate.
• Wipe off any moisture from the bottom of the bowl. Stir 3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract into the chocolate, then quickly pour into the prepared baking dish and spread in an even layer. Firmly tap the dish against the counter to remove any air bubbles. Set aside at room temperature until almost set, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, put all but 1 cup of the white chocolate in a large heatproof bowl and repeat the melting process over the steaming water; dry off the bottom of the bowl. Stir in the remaining 3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract; pour over the semisweet chocolate and spread in an even layer. Sprinkle immediately with the crushed candy canes, gently pressing them into the white chocolate. Set aside at room temperature until firm, about 1 hour. Lift the bark out of the pan using the foil and break it into pieces. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

EASY PEPPERMINT BARK

Steps:

• Unwrap candy canes and place in a thick ziplock bag. The freezer kind or if using the regular ones just use two, one inside the other to make it thick. You can also use hard peppermint candies if you are making this after Christmas. Place the candy inside the bag and crush it using a large metal spoon or a rolling pin- not too small, not too big. Martha would have you sift the candy to seperate the large pieces from the dust. I did not- it is up to you.
• Line a jelly roll pan (baking sheet with sides) or a 9x13 baking dish with tin foil. Spray with nonstick spray.
• Place white chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over (not in) a pot of simmering water. Test bowl before adding water to be sure it will sit on the pot and not dip down to low. Add water and test again- then heat up the water. Heat, stirring occasionally until chocolate is melted.
• Remove bowl from heat and stir in Rice Krispies.
• Pour mixture into prepared pan and spread. You can make it thick or thin.
• Sprinkle with crushed peppermint candy. Press them into the chocolate lightly otherwise they will fall off later- use waxed paper, the back of a spoon or your fingers. If you choose you can melt the mint chips and drizzle them over the top.
• Chill 20-30 minutes. Apparently if you leave it in the fridge longer it will get soft.
• Peel tin foil off and break into pieces.
• Store in an airtight container up to 1 week.

PEPPERMINT CRUNCH BARK

Steps:

• Turn a large baking sheet bottom side up, cover with foil and mark out a 12x9 inch rectangle on foil.
• Stir white chocolate in a double broiler or a metal bowl set over saucepan of barely simmering water until chocolate is melted and smooth and candy thermometer registers 110 degrees.
• Remove from over water.
• Pour 2/3 cup onto rectangle on foil.
• Using a icing spatula, spread chocolate to fill rectangle.
• Sprinkle with 1/4 cup crushed peppermints.
• Chill until set, around 15 minutes.
• Stir bittersweet chocolate, cream and peppermint extract in a heavy medium saucepan over medium low heat until just melted.
• Cool to barely lukewarm.
• Pour bittersweet chocolate onto cooled white chocolate and spread with the icing spatula.
• Chill for 25 minutes.
• Rewarm remaining white chocolate and working quickly pour white chocolate over firm bittersweet chocolate.
• Spread and sprinkle with remaining crushed mints.
• Chill for another 25 minutes.
• Carefully lift foil off of pan.
• Cut bark crosswise into 2 inch wide strips.
• Now remove foil on bottom.
• Cut each strip into 3 sections, and cut those crosswise.
• Wrap and refrigerate or serve.

PEPPERMINT BARK COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven until 350ËšF. Prepare baking sheets with silpat mat or parchment paper (two if you have them).
• Crush the candy canes. I used a food processor and pulsed until it was all crushed.
• Whisk together the rice flours, xanthan gum, baking powder, and salt.
• Melt the butter, 60% chocolate, semisweet chocolate chips, and unsweetened chocolate in a microwave safe bowl. Or if you have a double boiler use that. Microwaving chocolate can be tricky, the key is short intervals. I do it in 15-20 second intervals (the closer to completely melted, the shorter the time). It took about 6 times or so. Stir in between every go in the microwave. The chocolate should be smooth without any noticeable chunks. Allow to cool slightly, but still fluid.
• While you're melting the chocolate, beat together the eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Beat on high until light and frothy, about 5 minutes. This step is what will make the cookies have that shiny, crackly exterior.
• Turn the mixer to low, and add the melted chocolate/butter mixture to the eggs.
• Add the flour mixture. Scrape down sides of the bowl to make sure everything is evenly incorporated.
• Mixture should be silky and shiny. Slightly thick but with fluidity.
• Add the 1/2 cup of crushed peppermint, peppermint extract, and the white chocolate chips.
• Drop the cookies onto a baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Dust with the extra crushed peppermint, reserving some for after baking.
• If you only have one baking sheet, prescoop the rest of the dough as well and set aside. Due to the chocolate content, this dough will harden up pretty quickly. It's perfectly fine to bake once they've hardened, but they're more difficult to scoop.
• Bake for 10 minutes, turning half way. Bake until the top looks glossy and cracked.
• The peppermint will have melted in the oven, it will harden back up, but for presentation, sprinkle some fresh peppermint on top if you'd like. Cool on the baking sheet at least 5 minutes. Transfer parchment or mat onto a cooling rack and cool until you can easily peal the cookies off the mat. Cool on cooling rack for another 20-30 minutes until completely cooled. You want to allow the cookies to set.
• These cookies are great when cooled, you can also warm them. They stay great for a few days in an airtight container.

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 CRUNCH

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with a nonstick baking mat or parchment paper. Place graham crackers, sugared-side down, in a single layer on baking sheet with edges touching; set aside.
• Place butter, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar and salt. Reduce heat and cook at a rapid simmer until mixture reduces and is bubbly and syrupy, about 2 minutes. Pour over graham crackers, using an offset spatula to spread if necessary.
• Transfer to oven and bake until bubbling, about 8 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool 3 to 4 minutes, and sprinkle with chopped chocolate. Let cool completely; refrigerate briefly if necessary to set chocolate. Break into pieces and serve.

PEPPERMINT BARK

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 250. Line a 9x13 pan with foil, letting it hang over the sides. Spray foil. Pour the chocolate chips in an even layer on the foil. Place in oven for 5 minutes or until almost melted. Remove from oven, smooth with an offset spatula or knife. Place in refrigerator until cold and firm, about 20 minutes.
• Melt white chocolate chips in a double boiler or in a metal bowl over simmering water (don't let bottom of bowl touch water), until chocolate is almost melted. If you are daring, you can use your microwave. Remove bowl from water and stir until completely melted, stirring in extract. Let cool a little bit so it doesn't melt the chocolate layer when you pour it on top. Pour this over chocolate layer, and, working quickly, spread to cover. Sprinkle with crushed candy (I pressed the candy in just a bit).
• Chill until both layers are firm. Lift foil out of pan and shake off excess candy. Trim edges. Cut into 2" wide strips. Peel bark from foil and cut each strip as desired. Chill in covered container. Makes about 2 pounds.

LAYERED PEPPERMINT CRUNCH BARK

Steps:

• Turn large baking sheet bottom side up. Cover securely with foil. Mark 12 x 9-inch rectangle on foil. Stir white chocolate in metal bowl set over saucepan of barely simmering water (do not allow bottom of bowl to touch water) until chocolate is melted and smooth and candy thermometer registers 110°F. (chocolate will feel warm to touch). Remove from over water. Pour 2/3 cup melted white chocolate onto rectangle on foil. Using icing spatula, spread chocolate to fill rectangle. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup crushed peppermints. Chill until set, about 15 minutes.
• Stir bittersweet chocolate, cream and peppermint extract in heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat until just melted and smooth. Cool to barely lukewarm, about 5 minutes. Pour bittersweet chocolate mixture in long lines over white chocolate rectangle. Using icing spatula, spread bittersweet chocolate in even layer. Refrigerate until very cold and firm, about 25 minutes.
• Rewarm remaining white chocolate in bowl set over barely simmering water to 110°F. Working quickly, pour white chocolate over firm bittersweet chocolate layer; spread to cover. Immediately sprinkle with remaining crushed peppermints. Chill just until firm, about 20 minutes.
• Lift foil with bark onto work surface; trim edges. Cut bark crosswise into 2-inch-wide strips. Using metal spatula, slide bark off foil and onto work surface. Cut each strip crosswise into 3 sections and each section diagonally into 2 triangles. (Can be made 2 weeks ahead. Chill in airtight container.) Let stand 15 minutes at room temperature before serving.