TastyTalkWithAmy: Peppermint Bark (Easy)

I don't know what to say. This is such an easy candy recipe for the Christmas season. My family loves this peppermint bark, you can't eat just one piece. It is like eating popcorn in front of a movie, by the time you look down at the bowl in front of you it will be almost finished! My son has told me kids would pay money at his high school for me to make it for them, an entire batch for just one friend. I have yet to take him up on it; maybe I will one of these days. He tells me he just wants the white chocolate part to sell. He likes the chocolate part as well but I once made it for him to take to school with only white chocolate and the crushed peppermint and that is when his friends told him they would pay him for an entire batch for themselves.

Ingredients:

2 bags - 12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 bags - 12 oz white chocolate chips
4 tsp. peppermint extract, divided
1 - 10 oz bag crushed peppermint(sold at HEB next to the chocolate chips), or 1 box of 12 candy canes, peeled from their wrappers, crushed in a food processor, or by beating them with a rolling pin contained in a Ziploc (that way can be pretty harsh to your counter top, so beware)

Directions:

Line a 11 x 14 inch cookie sheet with aluminum foil. This makes it easier for lifting out and breaking into pieces.
Melt 2 bags of the semi-sweet chocolate chips in a glass bowl in the microwave on high for 1 minute 30 seconds (remember all microwave times vary so you may want to start out with 1 minute). Do not go any longer than a minute thirty, you will burn your chocolate. Don't worry if you have some lumps, if you stir it enough the continued heat in the chocolate will continue to finish off the melting process of those lumps, this is also the part where you add the 2 tsp. of peppermint extract.
As soon as your chocolate is smooth, spread it evenly immediately over the foil on the cookie sheet and place in the freezer for 5 minutes to harden. While it is hardening, wash your glass bowl because you will need it again for the white chocolate and it helps to pass the time for those 5 minutes.
Once the 5 minutes is passed for the hardening of the chocolate, pour the 2 bags of white chocolate chips in the glass mixing bowl and also microwave for 1 minute 30 seconds, no longer. If you have any small lumps, continue to stir and the heat will continue to melt them. Add the other 2 tsp. of peppermint extract and stir, immediately add the crushed peppermint and stir.
Spread the white chocolate/crushed peppermint candy mixture over the chocolate layer and be careful from the warmth of the white chocolate not to melt the dark chocolate layer and create the mess of making your white chocolate dirty with the dark chocolate.
Place in freezer for 5 minutes to harden again, then remove.
Lift the entire block of candy by the edges of the foil and place onto a cutting board and cut with a metal spatula or a knife. It will not be easy. You can also try and break into pieces by hand but it will start to melt the chocolate from the heat of your fingers.
Store at room temperature in an airtight container in a cool place.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

All the ingredients you need to make this yummy Christmas time candy treat!

Line the 11 x 14 cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Very important!

2 bags of semi-sweet chocolate completely melted with peppermint extract.

2 bags of melted chocolate spread evenly on top of the foil-lined cookie sheet.

White chocolate chips with peppermint extract and crushed peppermints.

Again spread evenly and quickly so that you do not disturb the chocolate layer beneath and then place in freezer.

One big block of candy! It lifts out quite nicely and in one piece with the foil beneath.

I removed the foil and placed on a cutting board and I highly recommend that or else if you try and cut it up with the foil still attached you will get bits and pieces of foil stuck to your candy. Do this breaking/cutting up process quickly and if you must use your hands, which you will sometimes, move quickly so you don't start melting the chocolate from your own body heat from your fingers.