Peppermint Bark

One of the first things I watch for around the holidays is Ghiradelli's peppermint bark squares. Maybe it's because they are seasonal and limited, a la McRib, or maybe it's because they are minty chocolate goodness; either way, my younger sister and I usually have some on hand during our Black Friday outings. So this year, I decided to see if I could make my own. Turns out, it's not that hard--and it's far cheaper and chocolate-ier than Ghiradelli.

You will need:

12 oz. dark chocolate (I used Dove--it's the only dark chocolate I really love)

12 oz. white chocolate (I used Baker's--it melts easiest)

24 hard peppermint candies

Line a jelly roll pan with parchment paper. In a glass bowl, microwave your dark chocolate in 15-30 second intervals, stirring in between each microwaving to prevent burning. When completely melted, pour onto parchment paper. Using a spatula, make sure that the melted chocolate covers the entire bottom of the pan evenly. Place in the refrigerator to harden for 10-20 minutes.

In the mean time, unwrap your peppermint candies and place in a ziploc bag. Use a rolling pin to break the candies, hitting and rolling until you have mostly peppermint dust and a sprinkling of larger peppermint pieces in the bag. Alternately, you could place the candies in a food processor. I just hate the dishes and like the arm workout of the rolling pin.

Microwave your white chocolate in the same way that you microwaved the dark, then fold in the peppermint dust and pieces until well-mixed (note: you can also strain out the large pieces and sprinkle those on top at the end if you would like the peppermint bark to look even prettier; the inside of my stomach, however, is not as discriminating). 

Finally, pour the peppermint-y white chocolate over the top of the refrigerated dark chocolate layer. Be sure to work quickly and carefully to spread the white chocolate layer over the dark chocolate layer, as the heat of the melted white chocolate will start to melt the refrigerated dark chocolate layer below. 

Place back in the refrigerator to harden for another 30-60 minutes and remove from parchment paper. (Note: you probably shouldn't eat the giant piece of peppermint bark--but I liked knowing that I could).

Break into pieces and enjoy!