Friday, December 3, 2010

GCC Recipe Swap!


It's that time of year when the goodie maker in all of us comes out. I like to give goodie bags to friends for Christmas. I'd rather give everyone a vacation but the budget dictates that goodies are the better choice. One year when our budget was bigger I bought Peppermint Bark for a crazy price from Williams and Sonoma and gave it to friends. (What was I thinking?) Here is a SUPER simple recipe that makes a decadent looking treat for a fraction of the price. And in my opinion it tasted much better (fresher) than the stuff I paid an arm and a leg for. I usually stack them into a clear cellophane bag and tie it with a ribbon and a tag. They turn out beautiful.

Chocolate Peppermint Bark

12 ounces white chocolate
12 ounces dark chocolate
1/2 cup crushed peppermint candy

Line a 9x12 pan with waxed paper. Melt the dark chocolate in microwave (cook 30 seconds in a heat-proof bowl) stir and repeat until you have a smooth consistency. Pour the melted dark chocolate on the parchment paper, spread the chocolate out until it is about 1/3" thick. You can do this by hitting the pan on the counter top repeatedly, or you could use a spatula to spread the chocolate. Melt the white chocolate, using the steps above. After the chocolate is smooth, pour it on top of the dark chocolate - trying to make the layers the same thickness. Crush the peppermints and while the white chocolate is still melted sprinkle on top. Let the chocolates harden in the refrigerator for 2 hours, then break the candy into pieces. Store in the refrigerator until ready to eat.

Do you have a recipe you'd like to share? Please link directly to your post and please include a link back here to the Grocery Cart Challenge.

4 comments:

Terri said...

Thanks for posting this. It looks great and not expensive. Here in Alabama, ALDI has the 12 oz bags of semi-sweet chocolates or white baking chips for just $1.29. I would love to see how you packaged them.

Susannah said...

I tried homemade peppermint bark for the first time last Christmas. It was wonderful and easy!

Thanks for hosting.

Miranda | Mangoes and Chutney said...

I have yet to make peppermint bark, but I am going to try and make them next week using candy bar molds. Thanks for hosting!

Carla and Michael said...

Wow. Everythings "coming up" chocolate and peppermint lately. Seems to be the theme thi year. Cupcakes, hot chocolate, etc.. Love these "bark" type candies and this is getting bookmarked for us right now. Thanks.