On the 3rd Day of Baking...

Day 3 -

After weeks of drooling over the Peppermint Bark on the cover of the Williams-Sonoma catalog, I almost gave in on a weak moment and ordered some. That is, until I saw the price -- $26 a tin! Holy cow! I mean I know this stuff is truly to die for and peppermint oil/extract is not cheap, but seriously? Especially since I happen to know bark is possibly the simplest thing in the world to make (my dark chocolate pistachio bark is yum-o), I was not going to give in, I was going to make my own.

Layered Peppermint Crunch Bark
17 oz. white chocolate, finely chopped
30 red/white striped peppermint candies, coarsly crushed
7 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
6 Tbsp. whipping cream
3/4 tsp. peppermint extract

• Turn baking/cookie sheet bottom side up, and cover with tin foil.
  
• Mark a 12 x 9 inch rectangle on the foil.
• Stir white chocolate in a double boiler until candy thermometer reaches 100 degrees. (chocolate will feel warm to the touch)
• Remove from water and pour 2/3 cp. melted white chocolate onto rectangle on foil.
• Using an icing spatula, spread chocolate to fill rectangle. Sprinkle with 1/4 cp. crushed peppermints. Chill until set, about 15 minutes.
• Double boil dark chocolate, then stir in peppermint extract and cream until just smooth and melted. Cool to barely lukewarm, about 5 minutes.
• Pout bittersweet chocolate mixture over white chocolate rectangle and spread. Refrigerate until very cold and firm, about 20 minutes.
• Re-warm white chocolate until candy thermometer reaches 110 degrees. Working quickly, pour white chocolate over firm bittersweet layer and spread to cover. Immediately sprinkle with remaining peppermints. Chill just until firm, about 20 minutes.
• Lift foil with bark onto work surface; trim edges. Cut bark lengthwise into 2" strips. Using metal spatula, slide bark off foil and onto work surface.
  
• Cut each strip crosswise into 3 sections and each section diagonally into 2 triangles. Keep refrigerated until 15 minutes before serving.

Notes of Interest:
--- The key to any good chocolate baked good (be it pie, candy, cookie, etc.) is GOOD chocolate. I know this seems like something silly, but I have seen too many people buy the cheap chocolate thinking it won't make a difference, but it really does. If you are going to take the time to make it, do it right, buy the quality chocolate.
--- There are a thousand slightly different variations of peppermint bark out there to choose from. Don't be overwhelmed, choose one that suits your comfort level in the kitchen, your personal preference in ratio of white/brown chocolate, and your preference of chocolate sweetness. I personally like the really bitter chocolate since the peppermint and the white chocolate already sweeten the bark so much, but that's just me. I also liked this recipe because it kept the middle layer sort of creamy, almost truffle-esque.
--- I found that cutting the pieces into triangles tended to make the edges crack. Therefore, I resorted to cutting mine in rectangles. I think they still look pretty!