Wrap these up in a stiff clear plastic bag (buy at craft stores or online), tie with a red grosgrain ribbon, and you’ve got a holiday party hostess gift that will knock the stockings off any candle or bouquet or bottle of wine. Especially that regifted merlot your friend Katie just walked in with. Hello, Katie? Didn’t we just bring that same bottle to your house last week?
MAKES: about 2 pounds bark, enough for around 10 people if you’re serving it at a party or about 4 small gift bags if you’re making it to give away for the holidays.
INGREDIENTS:
- Makes about 2 pounds bark, enough for around 10 people if you’re serving it at a party or about 4 small gift bags if you’re making it to give away for the holidays
- 10 ounces peppermint hard candies or 6 large candy canes
- Cooking spray
- 12 ounces milk chocolate chips or coarsely chopped bar
- 12 ounces white chocolate chips or coarsely chopped bar
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Place the candy in a sturdy plastic freezer bag and tap with a hammer or rolling pin until crushed. (This might be noisy!) Alternatively, crush the candy in a food processor.
- Line a large rimmed sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.
- In a double boiler or metal mixing bowl set over barely simmering water, melt the milk chocolate. When the chocolate is nearly melted, remove from the heat and stir until smooth. Pour the chocolate onto the foil-lined pan, and spread with a spatula to form a layer about ⅛ inch thick. Refrigerate until hard, about 30 minutes. Clean the spatula.
- Meanwhile, repeat step 2 with the white chocolate. When smooth, stir in half the crushed candy. Spoon the white chocolate mixture over the hardened milk chocolate. Spread with the spatula to form another layer about ⅛ inch thick that covers the milk chocolate layer. Sprinkle the remaining candy on top of the white chocolate.
- Refrigerate until hard, about 1 hour. When the chocolate has set, peel off the foil, break the bark into pieces, and refrigerate.
NOTE:
- In step 5, you can freeze the bark for 20 to 30 minutes instead of refrigerating it, to speed up the setting process.
