Peppermint Bark

This time of year many of us like to give our friends and those that provide services to us a little gift of appreciation. I've always enjoyed cooking and since it allows me to create tasty treats for everyone it also doesn't break the bank.

One treat that I've found most people love is Peppermint Bark. So if you're having a difficult time trying to figure out what to give someone try making a batch of these. One batch will serve 2 as a nice gift. Place it in a cellophane gift bag with a note or festive tin.

Don't worry this is easy!

Peppermint Bark
make 2 nice gift bags

12 oz. bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips
12 oz. bag white chocolate morsels
starlight peppermints (red and white ones)

In a zip lock bag crush about 20 starlight mints with a mallet, leaving chunks of mint. Set aside.

Melt semi-sweet chocolate chips in a microwave safe container and cook for 1 minute , then stir and place back in microwave for another minute. Stir until smooth.

While stirring the semi-sweet chocolate place white chocolate in a microwave safe container and heat for 1 minute, stir and place in microwave for another minute and stir until smooth. If you need a little more time to melt, add another 35 seconds.

Pour semi-sweet chocolate in a heavy-duty foil lined 9.5 x 13 pan. Spread completely with an offset spatula.

Then pour the white chocolate directly over the top of the semi-sweet chocolate in the same pan. Spread completely over the top. If desired can swirl colors together, like a marbling effect or can leave as two solid colors.

Sprinkle the crumbled starlight mints over the top of the chocolate. Then take another sheet of heavy-duty foil and place directly over the entire pan and mixture. Pressing firmly on the foil and smoothing the top with your hands to insure that the peppermints are tucked firmly into the chocolate. Seal the foil to cover.

At this point put in the refrigerator for a couple of hours or overnight. Then with plastic gloves or even 2 plastic bags over each hand, break apart the peppermint bark. Place in bags or tins or leave for yourself as a treat. Trust me it doesn't last long.

Peppermint Bark is best kept refrigerated until ready to eat.

So if you're looking for a quick treat to put together in the hectic holiday rush try this. Your recipients will love it!

Homemade Gifts for the Holidays

The holidays are the perfect time to pull out all the stops on your creativity. I personally love to make gifts and luscious treats for everyone. One of my favorite things to do is to make a Gumdrop Wreath or Candy Wreath. It's so simple that even the kids will enjoy helping.

To make the wreath, you'll need a plastic craft foam wreath form (which can be purchased at any craft store), masking tape, wire, wooden picks, jumbo gumdrops and ribbon. The quantities needed will depend on the size of your wreath.

Begin by wrapping masking tape around what will be the top of the wreath. The tape reinforces the wreath for hanging. Wrap wire around the wreath over the tape, bending the wire into a hanging loop at the back of the wreath. Break wooden picks in half, inserting the broken ends into the gumdrops. Cover the top and sides of the wreath with gumdrops. Tie a bow at the top of the wreath, hinding the wire.

There you have it! A fun and festive wreath to hang on your door or to give as a gift to a friend or teacher. Now how fun is that? It's amazing all the things we can do with food.

This is just one simple yet fun idea for the holidays. Check back often for more recipes, tips and creative ideas all food related for the upcoming holidays.