I feel that this recipe needs no introduction or explanation—it is, after all, the Christmas season, and a merry one it has been in our home. I’ve said before that my husband isn’t a big sweets guy, but he has literally put this on his Christmas gift list: Peppermint Bark. He could eat it by the pound and I enjoy a chocolate challenge. So naturally, this was something that was bound to come out of our kitchen. If you are looking to sharpen your tempering chocolate skills, this a great recipe to cut your teeth on. Why you ask? It is literally fail-proof, because even if you are not successful in tempering your chocolate, you will still have a delicious and highly edible product! Merry Christmas indeed.

Ingredients/Items:

-parchment paper cut for a quarter sheet pan

-10oz of dark chocolate chips

-10 oz of white chocolate chips

-1/2 cup of crushed peppermint candy

-peppermint oil

Method:

• This recipe used the seed method to temper chocolate. Want to skip tempering all together? Melt your chocolates, add 2-3 drops of peppermint into each melted chocolate, and skip to step 6! Tempering just makes the chocolate snap when broken and shiny!

1. Set up two double boilers, with the water temperature set to simmering.

2. Pour 2/3 of your dark chocolate into one double boiler, stirring constantly until dark chocolate is melted and registers 118 degrees on a thermometer.

3. Immediately take off the heat, pour in the remaining dark chocolate, and stir until melted.

4. Place into ice bath, stirring continuously, until dark chocolate registers 78 degrees. Make sure no water comes into contact with chocolate!!

5. Once dark chocolate registers 78 degrees, place back on double boiler until it reaches 87 degrees. Stirring until temperature is reached. Add in 2-3 drops of peppermint oil and stir in.

6. On a parchment-lined and greased quarter sheet pan, pour dark chocolate onto pan and smooth out and into edges of pan. Place into freezer to harden while you prepare white chocolate, will need about 5-10 minutes to set up.

7. In another double boiler, pour in 2/3 of your white chocolate, stirring until it reaches 115 degrees.

8. Take off heat immediately, and stir in remaining 1/3 of white chocolate, until melted.

9. Place white chocolate into ice bath, and stir until the thermometer registers 78 degrees. Make sure no water comes into contact with chocolate!!

10. Place white chocolate back on double boiler, and stir until it reaches 87 degrees. Once reached, add in 2-3 drops of peppermint oil, stir in.

11. Take dark chocolate out of freezer and pour white chocolate over the top. Smoothing out to match size of dark chocolate.

12. Crush 5-6 candy canes or your preferred peppermint candy, until you get 1/2 cup of crushed candy. Sprinkle over the top of white chocolate.

13. Freeze for 3-4 hours or overnight to set up. Break into pieces for serving.