Chocolate Peppermint Cookie Bark

I always know Christmas isn't far away when I get the Williams-Sonoma catalog in the mail. One of the first pages I flick to is the candy, and the peppermint bark is right there staring at me, just telling me to buy some. As much as I'd like to- because it's soooo good- I am a little on the tight  frugal side, and buying a tin of the said bark almost requires a small win on the lotto. The next natural step is to make my own and there's no shortage of recipes or ideas buzzing around. Bark is ridiculously easy to make and makes for a great gift if you're crazy enough to give it to somebody else.

If you do get the urge to make your own bark, try and use some good chocolate. I used Green and Blacks 70% dark plus their white chocolate bar with Madagascar vanilla. It'll melt way better than a bag of chocolate chips which usually has some other ingredients in it and it won't be as clumpy when it finally melts. Adding a tiny drop of olive oil to the melted chocolate also helps to give a perfectly smooth and shiny surface, one which won't shatter or have the dark and white layers split apart. I topped the bark with some crushed candy canes and peppermint cookies, I used the peppermint Oreo knock-off's from Trader Joe's.

Warning: This bark won't stay around for very long, I've already made three pieces disappear and magic had nothing to do with it. It's creamy and minty with little crunchy bites from the candy canes and cookies. I think I need a piece right now!!

Recipe for Chocolate Peppermint Cookie Bark:

Prep Time- 40 minutes    Yield- 9 squares, or whatever size you desire

12 ounces dark chocolate (70%)
7 ounces white chocolate
1/2 teaspoon olive oil
2 candy canes, roughly crushed
3 peppermint Oreo cookies, chopped

Line an 8x8 brownie pan with parchment paper.

Place a bowl over a pot of simmering water (about 1 inch deep) Put the dark chocolate into the bowl and gently melt over the hot water. Add 1/4 teaspoon of the olive oil to the melted chocolate and stir well.

Pour the melted dark chocolate into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Place the pan into the fridge and let set for about 10-15 minutes.

When the dark chocolate is cooling, melt the white chocolate the same way as you did with the dark chocolate. If you use the same bowl be sure to wash it and dry it thoroughly.

Once the dark chocolate is set, take it from the fridge and pour the white chocolate on top. Using a spatula gently spread the white chocolate, covering all of the dark chocolate layer.

Sprinkle the crushed candy cane pieces over the wet white chocolate followed by the cookie bits. Place back into the fridge and let set.

Once the bark is firm, lift it from the tray and slice into squares or just break into various size pieces. Keep in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to use.