Four Types of Chocolate Bark

This Christmas I wanted to make a treat for the four different homes that I was visiting. My husband loves my fudge but I didn't feel like making it. I had also made my famous pecan bars for a family celebration two weeks ago, so couldn't do a repeat. Then I was thinking about my candy bark. To make it you take every seasonal candy that is out there right now, mix it together, and pour white chocolate over the top. It tastes awesome and makes you feel like you are going to go into a sugar coma, but it takes some guts to try it if you are over the age of 15 and I figured people would look at it without trying. So I decided to make chocolate bark, candy bark's more sophisticated sibling.

The overall process is very similar for each recipe. Each type were scarfed down at each celebration, but my personal favorites are the Roasted Walnuts and Tart Cherries in Dark Chocolate and the Pecans in Salted Chocolate. Each recipe yields a whole cookie sheet of bark so be prepared to take it everywhere! I fed 4 different families and now still have enough to take to our friends for New Years Eve. Thank goodness because I am so tired I cant even make rice right now (recovering from the 24 hour stomach flu).

Roasted Walnuts and Tart Cherry Dark Chocolate Bark

Adapted From Food and Wine

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups of walnut halves

3 12 oz bags of bittersweet chocolate chips (I use Ghirardelli)

1 1/2 cups of dried tart cherries (coarsely chopped)

4 Tbs of crystalized ginger (finely chopped)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Place the walnut halves on a cookie sheet and toast until golden and fragrant (usually around 8 minutes but keep an eye on them so they do not burn). Let cool then coarsely chop them.

When you have all your other ingredients ready, place the chocolate chips in a double boiler and stir constantly until melted. Take the double boiler off the heat and mix in the rest of your ingredients. Then pour onto a cookie sheet that has been lined with parchment paper, wax paper or foil. Using a spatula, spread out until at desired thickness or until it reaches the sides of the pan.

Let cool by putting in fridge for around an hour (should be completely hard and set before you take it out). Then either with a sharp knife or with your hands (which I usually do) break the bark into pieces.

Pistachio and Cranberry White Chocolate Bark

Adapted From Brown Eyed Baker

Ingredients

3 12oz bags of white chocolate chips* (I use Ghirardelli)

3/4 cup unsalted shelled pistachios

3/4 cup of crasins (dried cranberries)

Place the chocolate chips in a double boiler and stir constantly until melted. Take the double boiler off the heat and mix in the rest of your ingredients. Then pour onto a cookie sheet that has been lined with parchment paper, wax paper or foil. Using a spatula, spread out until at desired thickness or until it reaches the sides of the pan.

Let cool by putting in fridge for around an hour (should be completely hard and set before you take it out). Then either with a sharp knife or with your hands (which I usually do) break the bark into pieces.

*I didnt roast the pistachios but other recipes recommended it, so it is up to you whether or not you roast them

Roasted Pecans and Salted Chocolate Bark

Ingredients

2 cups of toasted pecans

2 12 oz bags of semi-sweet chocolate

2 12 oz bags of white chocolate

1 Tbs of coarse salt (I used coarse Kosher salt)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Place the pecans on a cookie sheet and toast until golden and fragrant (usually around 8 minutes but keep an eye on them so they do not burn). Let cool then coarsely chop them.

When you have all your other ingredients ready, place the semi-sweet chocolate chips in a double boiler and stir constantly until melted. Then take the bowl off of the double boiler and put the white chocolate chips on the double boiler and stir constantly until melted.

Pour the white and dark chocolate in a checkerboard pattern onto a cookie sheet that has been lined with parchment paper, wax paper or foil. Then use a fork to swirl the semisweet and white chocolate together. Pour the roasted pecans on top, pushing them gently into the chocolate. Then sprinkle the salt on top of the chocolate.

Let cool by putting in fridge for around an hour (should be completely hard and set before you take it out). Then either with a sharp knife or with your hands (which I usually do) break the bark into pieces.

Candy Cane Bark

From Brown Eyed Baker

Ingredients

1 12 oz bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 12 oz bag of bittersweet chocolate chips

2 12 oz bags of white chocolate chips

12 oz (2 regular packages) of candy canes, crushed

Place the semisweet and bittersweet chocolate chips in a double boiler and stir constantly until melted. Pour onto cookie sheet that has been lined with parchment paper, wax paper or foil.

Place into fridge for around 10 - 15 minutes to harden and then take out when ready for white chocolate chips.*

Place the white chocolate chips in a double boiler and stir constantly until melted. Pour onto the dark chocolate layer. Spread carefully so the brown chocolate does not show up in the white. Then pour your crushed candy canes on top and press them into the chocolate.

Let cool by putting in fridge for around an hour (should be completely hard and set before you take it out). Then either with a sharp knife or with your hands (which I usually do) break the bark into pieces.

*Many people have had the two parts of the chocolate separate when breaking the bark into pieces. I felt it was a temperature problem (as the Brown Eyed Baker has you put it in the freezer for 30 minutes) and that pouring the white chocolate on something so cold would not let the dark chocolate melt to create a bond. I still did have a little on the edges separate but not much, so it is up to you on how long you want the dark chocolate to cool

Honey Pecan Figs

So, I am trying to increase the number of foods that I like to eat. Foods that I wont eat include all fish and seafood (except sushi tuna), cheese (except parmesan), and many fruits and vegetables. However in the past year or two I have found new foods that I enjoy include avocados, daikon radish, and spinach. This has made me much more adventurous in what types of foods I will try.

This week when I went to the produce store they had a container of black mission figs for $2.00. I knew that I enjoy fig newtons (well I did before going gluten free) and dried figs, so I thought that I could turn these figs into a great dessert. I didnt know how to pick ripe figs, and just went for the ones that were soft. I then went looking for fig recipes. Most of them had some type of cheese or were wrapped in meat that I didnt have around the house (and am trying not to eat) so I combined 3 recipes to make a honey pecan fig dessert. Once I got a chance to eat my fig creation, I figured out that I don't like them. They are a bit earthy for me and the texture really threw me off. However my husband really liked them and ate the whole bowl.

Honey Pecan Figs

Ingredients:

1 pint of fresh figs

1/3 cup of honey

1/4 cup of roasted pecans

1 tablespoon of cinnamon

Heat the oven to 375 F. Wash, cut, and stem figs. Slice them in half and put into a dish. Drizzle the honey over the figs and sprinkle on the cinnamon. Put in oven for 15 minutes or until the figs are soft but not so soft that you cant pick them up. Let them cool for 10 to 15 min and spread roasted pecans on top.