Holiday Challenge Day 11 - Peppermint Bark

I don't know about the rest of you, but even though I bake quite a bit, I'm really only familiar with a couple of types of bark.  Despite my woeful lack of knowledge on the subject, the internet will tell you that bark actually comes in a  multitude of different varieties.  Some are laden with fruits, nuts, pretzels or candies.  Others are chock full of chuffs, woofs, and whines.  (Ha ha ha - dog humor - love it).  And guess which one I know best?!

Although I could regale you with "Tales from the Bark Side", this blog is about baking.  And that means the bark we'll be discussing today is Peppermint Bark, not the bark that emanates from my overindulged and much loved canine companion, Jake. 

A classic holiday treat, Peppermint Bark is surprisingly easy to make, requiring only a handful of ingredients and less than a half hour of prep time.  And yes, this was me, throwing myself another proverbial bone. Because as much as I love to bake, I never bake every day.  I needed a little break, or by Day 24, I'll be making Buche du Noel from Yodels snack cakes instead of from scratch!

At the risk of offending die-hard bakers everywhere, I'll admit that I tried to make the process as simple as possible.  So instead of venturing out to buy a hunk of premium chocolate and chopping it, I used high quality chocolate chips (both white and semi-sweet) instead.  And I didn't melt the chocolate in a double boiler.  I melted it in the microwave.  The end result?  A decadent blend of chocolate and peppermint - some pretty dandy candy, if I do say so myself!

Peppermint Bark
Makes about 2 pounds
adapted from Foodnetwork.com (Paula Deen recipe)

1 cup crushed candy canes (or starlight mints)
2 pounds white chocolate
1 pound semi sweet chocolate (if you want a dark chocolate layer on top)
Peppermint flavoring (optional)

Place starlight mints or candy canes into a plastic bag and break into small pieces.  Melt white chocolate in a double boiler. Combine peppermint candy chunks with white chocolate, and add peppermint flavoring at this point, if desired (although the original recipe did not indicate an amount, other recipes recommend 1/2 -1 teaspoon of flavoring). Pour mixture onto a cookie sheet layered with parchment or waxed paper and place in the refrigerator for 45 minutes or until firm.   Note:  After the white chocolate layer had hardened, I melted the semi-sweet chocolate, let it cool slightly, and spread it on top, refrigerating for an additional 30 minutes (or until firm).  Remove from cookie sheet and break into pieces (like peanut brittle.)