Christmas Classics: Double-Layered Peppermint Bark

Recipes don't come much easier (or cheaper) than Peppermint Bark. This holiday confection can be adapted and redrafted to your heart's delight—sub in toffee, almonds, white chocolate, even a layer of graham crackers. But we thought it'd be best to start with the most basic.

While some recipes call for a teaspoon of peppermint extract, we omit it in favor of a double layer of crushed candy canes; this infuses the chocolate with an extra minty punch. We find that the extract often causes the melted chocolate to seize up if it isn't stored precisely at room temperature, so why risk it at all? In that same vein, while many bakers extol the virtues of primochocolat, we find that plain old Toll House semi-sweet morsels are equally delicious and melt evenly, which is a major plus when bark-making.

This festive treat makes a fantastic hostess gift, a beautiful (and edible) centerpiece, a refreshing addition to a , or just a tasty snack to keep around the house. To gussy up your presentation, swing by  on Pondfield Road for a variety of seasonal tins and trimmings, or check out TipNut.com, which has compiled a list of gift tags and wrappers—many of which are free and can be instantly printed from a home computer. 

We'd love to know how you adapt this recipe to make it all your own. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from Feast on the Cheap!

Recipe: Makes about 24 pieces

Ingredients:
24-oz semi-sweet chocolate chips (we use Nestle's Toll House, for the reasons listed above) - $5.00
24 candy canes - $2.38
Grand total: $7.38 (that's $0.30 per piece)

Directions:
1. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

2. Unwrap your candy canes and double bag them in two Zip-Loc baggies, removing as much air as possible. Use a heavy rolling pin or the flat side of a mallet to break up the candy canes. Set aside.

3a. If you have a double boiler, very gently melt 1/2 of the chocolate chips, stirring constantly over water that's barely simmering.

3b. If you don't have a double boiler, fill a saucepan with about 2 inches of water and bring it to a low simmer (so that it's steaming, but not boiling). Set a metal bowl over the saucepan (don't allow the metal bowl to touch the water) and add 1/2 of your chocolate chips, stirring frequently until the chips are soft. Turn down the heat if the water starts to boil up.

4. Once the chips are gooey and just starting to fully melt, scoop the chocolate onto your parchment-lined cookie sheet and spread it with a rubber spatula so that it's about 1/4-inch thick. Create a rectangle that's approximately 8 x 10.

5. Quickly sprinkle half of the crushed candy canes onto the chocolate rectangle and place it in the refrigerator to set for 20 minutes.

6. After the bark has been in the fridge for about 15 minutes, melt the remaining chocolate chips following the instructions in step 3a or 3b.

7. Remove the bark from the refrigerator and scoop and spread the melted chocolate over the top creating a second layer. Sprinkle with crushed candy canes—this time pay a little more attention to appearance. Gently press the candy cane pieces into the melted chocolate to ensure they get a good grip.

8. Place the bark in the fridge for another 25 minutes and allow to chill completely before attempting to break it apart.

9. To portion out the bark, skip the knife and use your hands—it's double layered so you'll need a little manpower. Place another piece of parchment paper on top of the chilled bark (to protect your hands and the candy canes), and simply break it into chunks that are approximately 2 inches big. 

10. Store the bark in a sealed, airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Mary Anne Rittenhouse and Mariel Rittenhouse Goodson co-host Feast on the Cheap, a food blog dedicated to elucidating the fine art of whipping up fabulous fare on a humble budget. The mother-daughter cooking duo stars a professional caterer with more than 25 years experience and a freelance writer who moonlights as a foodie.