Peppermint Bark

I'm actually not a fan of mint myself (not because of the taste, but because they can give me headaches), so I've never taste-tested these myself. But I had some friends request some over the holidays, and all reports I received from them were that it was AMAZING, so this recipe appears to be a raging success!

• 8 ounces high-quality semisweet chocolate, broken into pieces
• 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract, divided
• 8 ounces high-quality white chocolate, broken into pieces
  
• 25 peppermint candies, crushed (or if you buy the candies already crushed, just scatter as much as you'd like throughout)
  

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1. Line a 9" x 9" inch pan with foil or parchment paper, smoothing out wrinkles; set aside.
2. Place the semisweet chocolate in the top of a double boiler over just barely simmering water, stirring frequently and scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula to avoid scorching. When the chocolate is melted, stir in 1/4 teaspoon of the peppermint extract. Pour the melted chocolate into the prepared pan, and spread evenly over the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle half of the crushed peppermints over the chocolate layer. Put in the refrigerator while you make the second layer. (Note: Leaving it a little tacky instead of chilled rock-hard will allow the two layers to bond more completely, so that they don't separate when you break up the bark.)
3. Place the white chocolate in the top of a double boiler over just barely simmering water, stirring frequently and scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula to avoid scorching. When the chocolate is melted, stir in the remaining 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract. Pour the white chocolate directly over the semisweet chocolate layer; spread evenly. Sprinkle the remaining crushed candy over the top and gently press in. Refrigerate until completely hardened. 
4. Remove from pan and peel off the paper or foil; break into small pieces to serve.

Notes: Do not let any water - even the steam from the bottom of the double boiler - get into the chocolate, as this may cause the chocolate to seize. White chocolate has a lower melting point than regular chocolate; I recently had a batch become thick and lumpy when I tried to put it over the same heat settings as I had melted the dark chocolate, and it would never become liquid. You can try and "save" it by adding some fat to re-emulsify it - I happened to have some cocao butter on hand from some other projects, and this seemed to do the trick. Otherwise, you can try regular butter or some vegetable oil. It may be a ratio of as much as a tablespoon for every 6 oz of white chocolate, but add a little at a time first and see how it goes.