Layered Chocolate Peppermint Bark

This is so good, so easy- and so inexpensive! One of my students mentioned that she has seen it for upwards of $25 a pound at a gourmet store…..this’ll run you about $4 per pound. Nice, huh?

Chocolate chips are fine for this recipes, since we are adding the peppermint, oil and hard candies. Something to remember- melt your chocolate gently and slowly. Some people use a double boiler to melt chocolate but even the smallest amount of steam will cause the chocolate to seize (become thick and lumpy) You can correct this by stirring in a small amount of vegetable oil. I prefer to avoid it completely and use the microwave instead. Heat the chocolate on defrost (or 50% power) for 1 minute. From there continue at 30 second intervals until, when you press your finger into the chocolate, it yields. Since the chocolate  may not look melted, the finger test is important. Once the chocolate has reached this stage, stir it until smooth. The result is smooth, glossy chocolate that never seizes.