It's January and you may find yourself snowed into the house. Do not despair because a chocolate moment is close at hand. Making bark may be one of the easiest things that you can do with a bag of chocolate chips. The idea behind this recipe is that I will give you inspiration and you will make the recipe to your taste. Therefore, the possibilities are endless. You can make one kind this week and another type next week (when you are snowed in again.) Feel free to experiment, it's that kind of recipe.
Emily's Bark
1 bag of chocolate chips (12 oz.)
1 cup of (pick one):
roasted pecan pieces
roasted almond pieces
walnut pieces
peanuts
1/2 cup of (pick one):
dried cherries
raisins
shredded coconut
or
1 1/2 cup of your favorite cookie crumbled into pieces
i.e. oreos, chocolate chip, graham crackers, ginger snaps, etc.
or
1 1/2 cup of one of the following
pretzel pieces, crunchy cereal of your choice, granola,
thin mint candy or candy canes in small pieces
Take the bag of chocolate chips and empty into a large microwave safe measuring cup or small bowl. Stick into the microwave on power 8 for 1 minute. Stir and put back in and do the same. Stir until completely melted. Add your combination of ingredients. I made the roasted pecan and dried cherries version. Stir until all the ingredients are incorporated into the melted chocolate.
Take a square brownie pan and line with wax paper. Spoon your chocolate concoction onto the wax paper and spread out so it covers the bottom of the pan in a thin layer. Refrigerate. It should be ready in about a half hour or so. Whatever you don't eat instantly,cut into squares and put into an airtight container and stick into the fridge so you have a nice treat after the next round of shoveling.
Note: *I made the bark with pecan pieces. It is also possible to make the bark with whole nuts. I would not recommend using ground nuts for this recipe.
*Mix and match ingredients according to your taste palette.
What combinations do you like?
Yours in chocolate,
Emily
The Truffle Lady
