6ounces(170g) high quality semi-sweet chocolate1coarsely chopped
¼teaspoonpeppermint extract
1cupmini pretzels
8ounces(227g) high quality white chocolate2coarsely chopped
3large candy canescrushed
Instructions
Line an 8" baking pan with aluminum foil, allowing foil to come up along the sides of the pan. Smooth out any wrinkles and set aside.
In a medium saucepan over low-medium heat, melt the semi-sweet chocolate, stirring constantly, until smooth. You may also do this in the microwave, melting chocolate in 15 second intervals and stirring thoroughly with a spatula between each interval. Once chocolate is completely melted, stir in the peppermint extract.
Pour the melted semi-sweet chocolate into prepared baking pan, spreading with a spatula into an even layer (it will be very thin-- this is ok). Rap pan on counter top several times to settle chocolate and remove any air bubbles. Crush ⅔ cup of the pretzels into medium-size pieces and sprinkle over wet chocolate. Place pan in the refrigerator or freezer for 20 minutes or until completely set.
After you are sure semi-sweet chocolate layer is completely set, move onto the white chocolate layer. In a medium saucepan over low-medium heat, melt the white chocolate, stirring constantly, until smooth. You may also do this in the microwave, melting chocolate in 15 second intervals and stirring thoroughly with a spatula between each interval.
Pour melted white chocolate directly on top of semi-sweet layer, gently spreading with a spatula into an even layer. The pretzels will make it slightly difficult to spread but do the best you can. Be careful not to disturb the semi-sweet layer on the bottom, as it will melt a bit once the hot white chocolate hits it. Rap pan on counter top several times to settle chocolate and remove any air bubbles.
Crush the remaining 1⅓ cup of pretzels into small pieces. Sprinkle crushed pretzels and crushed candy canes on top and tap pan on counter again to settle everything. Place pan in the refrigerator or freezer until completely set.
Once entire pan is completely hardened, remove bark from the pan and peel off the foil. Break into desired size pieces or cut into squares. If you choose to cut into squares, allow pan to sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes, then cut using a very sharp knife. Bark should be stored in the refrigerator and will stay fresh for up to 3 weeks. Keep in mind the pretzels will lose some of their crunch, but they are totally safe to eat.
Notes
Semi-sweet chocolate: it is very important that you use high-quality chocolate for this peppermint bark. Do not use chips.
White chocolate:check the ingredients on your white chocolate to make sure it contains cocoa butter and not palm kernel oil, which will inhibit your chocolate layers from bonding. Candy melts or white melting wafers will not work here. It’s best to stick with white bar chocolate to be safe.
All nutritional values are approximate and provided to the reader as a courtesy. Changing ingredients and/or quantities will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.