PEPPERMINT BARK
Makes a half sheet pan
30
minutesThis recipe is compliments of our friend and author Leslie Budewitz. Leslie’s Spice Shop mysteries are set in Seattle’s Pike Place Market, where her sweet-and-spicy main character, Pepper Reece, runs a spice shop and solves crime. In the latest, Peppermint Barked, Pepper investigates when a young woman working the Christmas rush in her friend Vinny’s wine shop is brutally attacked, on the busiest shopping day of the year. Mystery and intrigue – oh, and Peppermint Bark! Read on for how Leslie layers in two types of chocolate along with our Peppermint Extract. Perfect for snacking and reading!
Ingredients
12 ounces semisweet chocolate (chips, chunks, or chopped)
1/2 tsp Pure Peppermint Extract
12 ounces white chocolate (chips, chunks, or chopped) (see note)
5 -6 ounces crushed peppermint candy (about 8 small canes, 3 large canes, or 30 candies)
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Melt the semi-sweet chocolate in a small pan over low heat or in a double boiler, stirring regularly until melted. Stir in extract. Pour onto prepared baking sheet and spread evenly. Refrigerate until set, about 25 minutes. (If chocolate is still warm, it will merge with the white chocolate in the next step; too hard and the layers may not bond.)
- Meanwhile, crush the peppermint candy. Put the canes or candies in a plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin or the flat side of a meat mallet.
- Remove pan from refrigerator. Melt the white chocolate in a small pan over low heat or in a double boiler, stirring regularly until melted. Spread over semi-sweet chocolate and immediately top with crushed peppermint.
- Refrigerate until well set, 30-40 minutes. Break in pieces and enjoy!
- Store tightly covered; keeps about one week.
- Note: Look for white chocolate containing cocoa butter, not added palm or coconut oil, often sold as “candy coating,” which will interfere with the bonding of the two layers and cause them to split when you break the bark into pieces.
