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.

Romance 101 - Chocolate Fondue and all sort of things to dip into it...

Sure, aphrodisiacs may or may not exist.  But I can tell you that very few foods can get you in the mood better than warm chocolate.   There's something about the silkiness in the mouth, the feel on the tastebuds and the exquisite taste of real quality chocolate.

Now guys, you want to score some romance points with the ladies, surprise her with a chocolate fondue. Yes it sounds luxurious, but it's one of the SIMPLEST things in the world to make.  It's melted chocolate and enough whipped cream to get the right consistency  That's it.  You find a bunch of things to dip into it and you're done.

Now what you serve and how you serve it matters.  First, what you serve...  Now almost anything tastes great when it is dipped in chocolate.  And what type of chocolate you use can matter.  Always use something the person you are serving loves.  Liz likes the Dairy Milk from Cadbury, so I'll use that as a base.  You do not have to limit yourself to just one type of chocolate.  Sure, you can have a milk chocolate base, but you can add dark or white chocolate as well.  And if you want to swirl in some caramel, drop in some nuts, or add some other flavorings, more power to you.

If you're making this for your special someone, you want to make sure that you provide some of her favorite foods.  Just make sure whatever you present is dipable.  When it comes to fruits, almost anything that's pretty solid works, since you can lance them with a small fork and it will stay on.  Strawberries, raspberries, bananas, grapes, melon pieces, pineapple, pears, etc all work wonderfully.  But I've also seen citrus like oranges and tangerines served as well.  When it comes to pastries, you want to make sure that it won't disintegrate. While your average cake isn't recommended, cubes of sponge cake, shortcake and brownies will stay on the fork and the texture will capture the chocolate on the uneven surface.  And almost any type of cookie will work great if you dip it by hand.  Oreos will allow some extra chocolate to slide in the gap between the layers.  Shortbread cookies soak up a little extra chocolate. Chocolate chip, oatmeal, and even peanut butter cookies can be dredged through the chocolate. 

Now you can warm and serve the chocolate any way you'd like.  I do own an electric fondue pot and I recommend it.  The pot has an adjustable temperature gauge, so you can maintain the heat as long as you want to.  Also, they usually come with a set of fondue forks, so multiple people can dip without having to share cutlery.  My pot has a teflon coating and can be completely submerged in water, so it's very easy to clean.  And you can use the pot for more than just fondue.  You can prepare dips, small soups, and other appetizers for parties with this piece of equipment. 

If you don't want spend the money, they do make other pots.  There are some that are ceramic that allow you to put a heat source under them.  There are also small, two persons pots that allow for a tealight to heat it.  These are perfectly good serving vessels, but if you're going to use those to keep it warm, I'd recommend initially melting the chocolate in a double-boiler and a saucepan and then pour the contents into the containers when you're ready to serve.  

Finally, make the display pretty.  Lay the dipable items on a plate surrounding the fondue pot.  Have the forks easily accessible.  Add some flowers or candles on the table for ambiance.  Just make it as romantic as possible.  Who knows?  Maybe the sensual mood will inspire someone to find new and exciting uses for the melted chocolate...

Chocolate Fondue

Preferably serves a select pair, but can be done for a group as well.

1 pound of your favorite chocolate

Up to 1 cup whipping cream

Dipping items

Warm your fondue pot or saucepan to medium.  Add the chocolate and stir until it's thoroughly melted.  Slowly add the whipping cream and stir to blend.  It may coagulate when you put the first amount of cream in.  That's OK, keep adding cream in small quantities and stir until combined.  Keep adding the whipping cream until you get the consistency you want.  Present the chocolate with all sorts of dipable items, which can include:

Strawberries 

Raspberries

Grapes

Melon pieces

Pineapple

Pears

Apples

Brownies

Shortcake

Sponge Cake

Oreos

Shortbread cookies

Chocolate Chip cookies

Peanut Butter cookies

Your partner...  etc.

So set the romantic mood with a creamy chocolate aphrodisiac and see where the mood takes you.