Cookies and Cream Peppermint Bark is a clear sign that I have finally bought into the fact that Christmas is in about a week. After all what is Christmas without crushed candy canes? Add in double stuffed Oreos and it’s a hit.
My Mom has been making chocolate bark for decades. When we used to make chocolates we would take the extra melted chocolate and mix in anything we could find like dried fruit, nuts, cereal or pretzels. Thank goodness I am steadfast on my sugar detox or today I would have eaten half my efforts. My taste testers say this is their favorite. And the best part…
…IT’s so simple!
Cookies and Cream Peppermint Bark
2 pounds of the BEST quality white chocolate you can find
1 pkg. Double Stuff Oreos broken into chunks
1 pkg. Candy Canes broken into bits (removing the wrappers is a kids job, like shucking corn!)
In a large pyrex bowl melt the white chocolate. This is trickier that you might think. White chocolate is not actually chocolate because it does not contain chocolate liquor. It is a sweet mixture of cocoa butter, sugar, milk solids, vanilla and lecithin. When melting white chocolate, you need to be very careful because it has a low burning point of about 111 degrees F.
Using a double boiler is the best way to melt it slowly and evenly. If you do not have a double boiler you can use a glass bowl over the rim of a pot. Fill the pot with an inch of water and let it come to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down to a simmer. Place the white chocolate pieces into the bowl. Stir constantly until it is melted. If it separates whisk in 1 Tsp. of butter and incorporate completely.
Using a microwave is not as reliable but can be done. Melt only 8oz at a time. Microwave for 30 seconds and stir then repeat every 30 seconds until the pieces are all melted. It will be thicker than milk chocolate. If it scorches it will actually get hard to stir. Just keep an eye on it and be patient.
Now that I’ve scared you, let me tell you that it IS super easy. I made mine in the microwave because I’m too impatient to wait for water to boil. It took about 2 minutes.
Once you have your melted white chocolate simply use a large rubber spatula to carefully stir in the rest of the ingredients. Try not to over blend. You want those lovely chunks to remain. Turn out onto a parchment lined baking sheet and smooth gently to make a layer about 1 1/2 thick. Place in a cool spot until the bark hardens. Cut or break into pieces and Enjoy!
Merry Christmas… 
