Cooking with Kids: Peppermint Bark

Tis the season of hot chocolate, holiday treats, and cookie exchanges, and nothing reminds my tastebuds more of this fact than peppermint showing up in all the delicious foods and drinks. I’m not complaining. Sweet and spicy peppermint is the quintessential cold-weather flavor. I take it in my coffee, in the form of a white chocolate peppermint mocha. I take it in my food, crushing up peppermint sticks and topping cookies with it. I even love the aroma. Take a hit of peppermint essential oil sometime and tell me it doesn’t wake you right up.

In honor of peppermint, I’m sharing my favorite easy, go-to recipe with you. As long as you have all the right ingredients, it’s effortless, and something your kids will be delighted to help with. Depending on their age, just make sure their participation is supervised. Littles will delight in helping spread the peppermint pieces. Older kids can help melt and pour chocolate.

Peppermint Bark

INGREDIENTS:
12-oz semisweet chocolate, chopped into medium-size pieces
1-1/2 teaspoons peppermint extract
1-lb white chocolate, chopped into medium-size pieces
3 candy canes, crushed

DIRECTIONS:
1. Line a baking dish with aluminum foil, shiny-side up; smooth out any wrinkles.
2. Turn your stove to low and heat the semisweet chocolate in a double broiler until chocolate is melted.
3. Stir half the peppermint extract into the melted chocolate and then pour into baking dish. Allow chocolate to harden by returning to room temperature for around 10 minutes.
4. Repeat step 2 with white chocolate pieces. Once melted, stir in remaining peppermint extract.
5. Pour even layer of white chocolate over hardened semi-sweet chocolate
6. Immediately top with crushed candy canes, making sure to press gently into white chocolate.
7. Allow to set for one hour. Once firm, remove from baking dish and break into bite-size pieces.