Chop your dark chocolate into small pieces so it is easier to melt it.

Place your small peppermint candy canes or candy peppermints in a Ziploc bag. Seal the bag and crush the peppermint with a rolling pin or the bottom of a saucepan.

(We explain how to melt it in the microwave here. If you would like to use a double boiler to melt the chocolate, we explain how in the post.) Add the chopped dark chocolate to a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave the chocolate for 30 seconds. Then, remove the bowl from the microwave and immediately mix the chocolate. Be careful and use oven mitts when removing the bowl of chocolate from the microwave as it may be hot. Next, place the chocolate back in the microwave for 15 seconds, remove it, and mix. Place it back in for another 15 seconds, remove it, and mix. You want your chocolate to be 80-90% melted. Melt it in 15-second intervals until this point. You have to melt and mix it in intervals, not all at one time. Once it is at this point, don’t microwave it anymore, and keep mixing. As you keep stirring, the chocolate will fully melt. Once the chocolate is melted, add 1 tablespoon of crushed peppermint. Mix the peppermint with the chocolate.

Pour the melted chocolate onto a sheet pan with parchment paper. Evenly spread it out with a spatula to the desired thickness of about 1/4 inch. After spreading, add the rest of the crushed peppermint on top.

Chill the peppermint bark in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

Once chilled, remove it from the refrigerator, cut or break it into pieces, and enjoy!