Holiday Goodies: Homemade Bark
One of our favorite treats to give away to friends and family during the holidays is homemade bark candy. Bark is simple and relatively quick to whip up, and it’ll please chocolate-lovers for sure! One of the things we like about making our own bark is that we can make sure the ingredients are appropriate for our loved ones with food allergies. That way, everyone gets to join in the fun!
The easiest type of bark to make at home is homemade milk chocolate almond bark. Start by greasing the bottom and sides of a cookie sheet with cooking spray or vegetable oil. Then, apply a layer of waxed paper to the pan, making sure that it’s smooth and free of wrinkles.
Melt 1 lb. of milk chocolate chips in a double-boiler over low heat. When the chocolate is a completely smooth liquid, remove it from the heat and gently fold in about 1 cup of whole roasted almonds. Spread the chocolate mixture over the waxed paper on the cookie sheet and refrigerate the candy until hardened. Break the bark into pieces using a knife or a mallet.
Peppermint bark takes a little more time, but we’ve found that it’s greatly appreciated at Christmastime. Prepare a cookie sheet in the manner described above, and set it aside. Melt ½ lb. of dark chocolate chips in a double boiler until completely smooth, then pour the chocolate onto the wax paper. Use a rubber spatula to smooth it out into a thin, even layer, then pop it in the fridge until hardened (this usually takes at least an hour).
Move the cookie sheet with the hardened dark chocolate to the freezer, then melt ½ lb. of white chocolate chips in the double boiler.
When the chocolate is melted, stir in about ½ to 1 tsp. of peppermint extract and pour the white chocolate in an even layer over the chilled dark chocolate. Sprinkle a handful of crushed starlight mints on top of the white chocolate layer, then refrigerate the peppermint bark until it’s hard. Break it into pieces.
Do you make homemade candy for Christmas? What are some of your favorite varieties?
One Response to “Holiday Goodies: Homemade Bark”
buy some trail mix or create your own trail mix and make some bark from that.