White Chocolate Peppermint Bark

Here is another new recipe I tried out for the New Years party.  Instead of peppermint candies I used some "Peppermint Snow" from William-Sonoma that I had bought earlier but not used yet.  

It came out really well.  By far one of the easiest things I made during the holidays.  Use good white chocolate!  It's sorta hard to find but Ghiradelli makes white chocolate bars and chips (use the bars for this one).  It's the best white chocolate I've found.  Everything else I've ever seen is called "premiere white" or something and seems really sketch in my opinion.  The rice krispies made it very light and crispy.  I'd like to try out a few variations of this recipe at some point.

White Chocolate Peppermint Bark

~MarthaStewart.com

Ingredients

1 lb white chocolate, chopped

2 cups rice cereal

1 bag (7.5 oz) peppermint candies, crushed

1. Spray a 10-by-15-inch rimmed baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray; line with a piece of waxed paper.

2. Place white chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over (not in) a saucepan of simmering water. Heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in rice cereal.

3. Transfer mixture to prepared pan; with a spatula, spread to edges of pan.

4. Sprinkle with crushed candy; with a piece of waxed paper covering the entire surface, press in gently. Chill until firm, 20 to 30 minutes (no longer, as candy will begin to soften).

5. Peel waxed paper off. Break bark into 2-inch pieces. Store at room temperature in an airtight container, up to 1 week.

Chocolate White Chocolate Chunk Cookies

First recipe using the new mixer! Yay.
I received the Barefoot Contessa Parties book for Christmas and immediately went through it to find a recipe to make using my new mixer. I decided upon these cookies, a reverse of the basic chocolate chip. Once I finally found some good quality white chocolate (3 grocery stores later) I got to use my mixer and wear my new apron. It was pretty much a great night already and then the cookies were delicious! I think they made me change my mind about white chocolate. Thank's to Ina I now like coconut and white chocolate. Up next: carrots- well only if they can be baked into something.

Here is the recipe:
Chocolate White Chocolate Chunk Cookies
~Barefoot Contessa
1/2 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
2/3 cup good unsweetened cocoa
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 pounds good white chocolate, coarsely chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Cream the butter and 2 sugars until light and fluffy in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the vanilla, then the eggs, 1 at a time, and mix well. Add the cocoa and mix again. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt and add to the chocolate with the mixer on low speed until just combined. Fold in the chopped white chocolate.

Drop the dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, using a 1 3/4-inch ice cream scoop or a rounded tablespoon. Dampen your hands and flatten the dough slightly. Bake for exactly 15 minutes (the cookies will seem underdone). Remove from the oven and let cool slightly on the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.