Peppermint Bark, Oreo Bark, Mixed Nut Bark, Bark Like a Dog, etc...

This time of year, snacks start showing up at the office.  And there are some REALLY overenthusiastic people.  Somebody is bound to bring some sort of sweet concoctions that has a title with at least 6 words in it, like Chocolate Caramel Marshmallow Reese's Macadamia Apricot Popcorn Balls.  WAY over the top...  but in a weird way that sounds kind of good....   Or maybe neighbors are delivering all sorts of candy plates to your door and you need something for reciprocation.  How about one of the simplest candies you can make, a chocolate bark.

A bark is a chocolate base with any other sort of ingredient mixed in to add an additional flavor or crunch.
The recipe is very simple and can even be made with your children without putting them in danger, unlike other molten sugar recipes.  You essentially bring the chocolate up to a temperature that will help it temper properly, then add half of the other ingredients directly into the chocolate and stir.  As it cools, you add more of the ingredients as garnish and allow it to cool completely.

And in the past, we've talked about tempering chocolate through a double-boiler.  Which works... but can take some time and increases the hazard of letting water getting in to the chocolate.  Even one drop of water in heated chocolate can cause it to seize up like concrete.  And the mixture of hot pans and three year olds rarely end without a few tears.  Instead you can heat your chocolate in the microwave to save time and unnecessary burns.  Just chop the chocolate up find, nuke it for 30 seconds and stir.  Then nike for another 30 and stir again.  Take it's temperature.  As soon as you hit 115 degrees, your done.  But if it's not there, nuke it in 10-15 second intervals, stir it, and check the temp again.

Once it's at the 115, mix in whatever you'd like and spread it out in a flat surface.  Let it cool, break it out and you've got a tasty candy that looks great on a plate.

The best part about these recipe is that you can add any sort of candy, nut or other crunchy ingredient.  Any type of chocolate can be used in the application.  Use your favorite, or pair up combinations that you believe would taste great.  And the process is FAST!  I made all three of the types listed above in less than an hour.

Here are a couple examples of what you can use.

White Chocolate Peppermint Bark

1 pound white chocolate
2/3 cup crushed candy canes or peppermint candies.

Chop the chocolate into small bits.  Heat the chocolate using one of two methods.  Using a double boiler, heat the chocolate until it melts and reaches 115 degrees.  Or... pour the chocolate into a bowl and microwave for 30 seconds.  Stir and microwave for 30 more seconds.  Stir and cook more, in 10-15 second intervals until it reaches 115 degrees.

Pour in 1/2 of the candies and stir just until incorporated.  Pour the chocolate out onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Spread the remaining candies over the chocolate and allow it to cool completely.  Break the chocolate up into pieces and serve.

Milk Chocolate Oreo Bark

1 pound milk chocolate
2/3 cup crushed Oreo cookies, centers removed (about 12-15 cookies)

Chop the chocolate into small bits.  Heat the chocolate using one of two methods.  Using a double boiler, heat the chocolate until it melts and reaches 115 degrees.  Or... pour the chocolate bits into a bowl and microwave for 30 seconds.  Stir and microwave for 30 more seconds.  Stir and cook more, in 10-15 second intervals until it reaches 115 degrees.

Allow to cool for 5 minutes then pour in most of the cookies and stir just until incorporated.  Pour the chocolate out onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Spread the remaining cookies over the chocolate and allow it to cool completely.  Break the chocolate up into pieces and serve.

Dark Chocolate Nut Bark

1 pound dark chocolate
2/3 cup chopped nuts of choice

Chop the chocolate into small bits.  Heat the chocolate using one of two methods.  Using a double boiler, heat the chocolate until it melts and reaches 115 degrees.  Or... pour the chocolate into a bowl and microwave for 30 seconds.  Stir and microwave for 30 more seconds.  Stir and cook more, in 10-15 second intervals until it reaches 115 degrees.

Allow to cool for 5 minutes then pour in 1/2 of the nuts and stir just until incorporated.  Pour the chocolate out onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Spread the remaining nuts over the chocolate and allow it to cool completely.  Break the chocolate up into pieces and serve.


So make a bunch of these extremely easy chocolate candies and compete with the office chefs.