- Ingredients: 1 pound dark chocolate, broken or chopped; 4 ounces semisweet chocolate; 8 ounces lightly crushed candy canes

- Method:

• Temper the chocolate: In the top of a double boiler, melt the dark chocolate, stirring it constantly with a wooden spoon, to between 105 and 115 degrees F. Remove the chocolate from the heat and immediately use a rubber spatula to transfer it to a medium bowl. This will help drop the temperature of the chocolate. Stir in the semisweet chocolate until the temperature reduces to between 88 and 90 degrees F.
• Make the bark: Using a rubber spatula, stir in half of the candy canes and spread an even layer of the chocolate mixture on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Immediately sprinkle on an even layer of the remaining candy canes.
• Refrigerate for about 20 minutes, then leave at room temperature for an hour before breaking it into chunks.

• Special equipment: a digital thermometer.