Peppermint Bark Candy recipe + A DEADLY ÉCLAIR #giveaway from @DarylWoodGerber

Holiday Giveaway!  

It's Christmas week on Mystery Lovers Kitchen.

To celebrate, I'm giving away another copy of A DEADLY ÉCLAIR. 

Tis the season to be jolly!

I've done all my giving to the groups I donate to, 

like the American Cancer Society, Michael J. Fox Parkinson's,

Keep Tahoe Blue, Pets in Need, Feeding America, and Toys for Tots, 

but I felt I needed to do more. 

So here you go... (See below)

From Daryl aka Avery:

After all my moaning a few weeks ago, I bought a double boiler! Well, actually not a double boiler -- a double boiler attachment pan to set over any of a large saucepan. Like this Cuisinart one. What a find! It worked like a dream for this recipe. I never worried that I might overcook the chocolate.

Don’t you love finding a new kitchen item that you absolutely must have in your kitchen? For years, I’d always worked around “not having a double-boiler" before. Set one pot in the other. Hope the water stays in the pan. Spit, spit, ouch!

I'm so glad I finally treated myself! Merry Christmas to me. An early present. 

This candy should make the perfect present for you to give to lots of people.

Enjoy!

Peppermint Bark Candy

Ingredients

12 ounces good quality semi-sweet chocolate (I used Ghirardelli)

12 ounces white chocolate * make sure it has cocoa butter (I used Ghirardelli)

½ teaspoon peppermint extract

10-12 miniature peppermint candy canes, about ½ cup crushed (I used mini candy canes because they’re easy to remove from wrappers)

15 x 9 pan

baking spray like Pam

aluminum foil

plastic bag

mallet

parchment paper

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Line the 15 x 9 pan with foil. Spray with baking spray.

Place the squares of chocolate in an even layer on the foil. Place in the oven for five minutes. When melted, remove and smooth with spatula.  Let cool about 5 minutes, then place in refrigerator (on a towel or something) until cold and firm, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat water in a saucepan to simmer. Top with the double-boiler attachment, and melt the white chocolate. This takes about 10 minutes. Stir to get all the cubes of chocolate to the bottom. Don’t let the water touch the bottom of the double boiler or the chocolate will cook too fast.

Remove white chocolate from heat once melted and stir in the peppermint extract.  *Important.  Let the chocolate cool a bit before spreading on top of the refrigerated chocolate. At least 15 – 20 minutes.

I didn’t wait long enough. I think I waited about 12-13 minutes. Oops! So I got a swirl of dark chocolate mixed with white chocolate, but don’t despair if you’re as impatient as I am. The crushed peppermint covered my “mistake.”  I love that!

While waiting for the white chocolate to cool, crush your peppermints. I used mini candy canes. I snipped them out of their loose bags and put them into a baggie.  I then put that baggie into a larger, sturdier bag. Good move. I whacked them with a mallet and though the mallet created holes in the baggie, the peppermint didn’t get loose.

Remove chocolate from the refrigerator. Pour white chocolate over the chocolate layer and spread evenly. Sprinkle with crushed peppermints. Using the back of a clean spoon, press the candy into the chocolate.

Chill for an hour, until boy layers are firm. Lift the foil out of the pan. I set the flat block of candy on a layer of parchment paper.  And then I hand-broke the pieces. The best way to break is with a downward motion. Chill the pieces in a covered container.

If desired, put into decorative cellophane bags and tie with ribbon to give as gifts.

See how the peppermint covers up the mistakes? Yay!

Set on parchment.

Crack in a downward motion.

SPECIAL CHRISTMAS GIVEAWAY


I'm giving away another copy of A DEADLY ÉCLAIR. I'll pick the winner Friday. PS If you already have a copy of the book, you can always win this one to give as a GIFT.
If that's the case and you win, I'll throw in some swag for you.

Caveat... I'm on the road visiting a new "grandchild"  - not my grandchild.
More like my grand-nephew, but my darling nephew is like my son,
so I call all his kids my grandchildren and they call me Didi.

Anyway, I'm on the road, so I won't be responding today.
Even so, to enter this giveaway, please tell me one book title that is in your TBR pile?
I think many of us need to create a 2018 TBR pile and we could use suggestions!

Here's a bit about A Deadly Éclair, just in case you don't know...

Mimi Rousseau is throwing the bistro’s first wedding—the nuptials of a famous talk show host. She is sure things will go awry when the bride’s father shows up drunk to the out-of-towners’ dinner. By the end of the evening, things look sweet again…until the next morning, when her benefactor is found dead at the bistro with an éclair stuffed in his mouth. All fingers point at Mimi, whose loan is forgiven if he dies. It’s up to her to éclair—er, clear—her name before the killer turns up the heat.

Praise:

"Talk about a culinary delight, this book is the pinnacle of deliciousness as I devoured all that was written in this exciting new series featuring Mimi and her friends." ~ Dru's Book Musings

"I have been looking forward to the book since I first saw the cover pop up on Facebook and it certainly exceeded my expectations. As a fan of the author’s Cheese Shop Mysteries and Cookbook Nook Mysteries, I knew the characters would be strong and the food descriptions would have my mouth watering and I was right." ~ Escape with Dollycas Blog

Savor the mystery!

*

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Plus check out my website.

A DEADLY ÉCLAIR, the 1st in the French Bistro Mysteries, is coming November 2017. Can Mimi clear her name before the killer turns up the heat? Click here to order.

GRILLING THE SUBJECT, the 5th Cookbook Nook Mystery, is out!

The Wild West Extravaganza has come to Crystal Cove.

Click here to order.

FOR CHEDDAR OR WORSE, 
the 7th Cheese Shop Mystery is out!

Finally there's going to be a cheese festival in Providence!

Click to order.

GIRL ON THE RUN a stand-alone suspense

When a fairytale fantasy night becomes a nightmare, 

Chessa Paxton must run for her life...but will the truth set her free? 

Click to order




DAY OF SECRET my new stand-alone suspense
A mother he thought was dead. A father he never knew. 
An enemy that wants them dead.
Click here to order.