Halloween Candy Bark

Halloween Candy Bark

 

 This is a great recipe to throw together for a Halloween treat.  Use the candies that you like and omit what you don't like for sprinkling on top of the chocolate.  Not a white chocolate fan, use all milk chocolate.  My children know that Halloween is just around the corner when I serve this- it is usually gone before Halloween ; ). This can be adapted for any holiday using the colored M and M's or Oreo Cookies that come out around the different seasons.  I use crushed peppermint for Christmas. Enjoy!

 

Ingredients

• 1 package white chocolate chips
• 1 package milk chocolate or semisweet chips (I prefer milk)
• 1 snack size bag pretzels
• 2 cups Reeses Pieces
• chocolate sprinkles
• orange sprinkles
• candy corn
• You can add crushed oreos, whoppers, milky way, snickers, m and m's  to sprinkle on top - whatever your family likes or you have on hand.

Instructions

1. Melt the milk chocolate over a double boiler or in the microwave.
2. Spread the chocolate out onto a baking sheet lined with tin foil. Spread the chocolate fairly thin. It will be easier to break up when it chills. Cover with crushed pretzels and put in the fridge to chill.
3. Melt the white chocolate over spread over the pretzel layer.
4. Cover the chocolate with Reeses, orange sprinkles, chocolate sprinkles, and candy corn or any other candies you desire.  If the candy corn, isn't your thing, omit it. 
5. Chill the bark in the refrigerator for a few hours. Break into pieces.

Avalanche Bark

Avalanche Bark

Yield: 9 bars
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

A recreation of the popular Avalanche Bark from Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory.

Ingredients:

12 ounces white chocolate, finely chopped
½ cup peanut butter
1½ cups Rice Krispies
1½ cups miniature marshmallows
½ cup miniature chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Line an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper; set aside. Place the miniature chocolate chips on a plate and place in the freezer until ready to use.
2. Combine the white chocolate and peanut butter in a mixing bowl and microwave on 50% power in 30-second increments, stirring after each, until completely melted.
3. Remove from microwave and stir in Rice Krispies. Let the mixture sit and cool until it reaches room temperature, stirring occasionally, about 10 to 20 minutes.
4. Gently stir in the miniature marshmallows, then the miniature chocolate chips.
5. Turn the mixture into the prepared pan and press into an even layer. Refrigerate until set, about 15 minutes.
6. Remove from the pan and cut into squares. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

(Recipe adapted from The On-Line Cookbook

Brown eyed baker

Pistachio Cranberry Bark

Pistachio Cranberry Bark


1 cup white chocolate candy melts
1 cup dark chocolate candy melts
½ cup pistachios
½ cup dried cranberries
wax paper
Line a cookie sheet with wax paper. Set aside.
Place dark chocolate melts in a medium microwavable bowl. Microwave on medium power for 30 seconds. Stir mixture and continue to microwave for 30 second intervals until chocolate is completely melted.
Reserving about two tablespoons, pour dark chocolate onto prepared cookie sheet and spread over surface with a spatula. Place cookie sheet in the refrigerator to harden.
In the meantime melt white chocolate melts using the same 30 second interval method. Once completely melted stir in pistachios and cranberries.
Pour the white chocolate mixture over the hardened dark chocolate on the cookie sheet. Dip a spatula into the reserved dark chocolate and drizzle over the top of the bark to decorate.
Return cookie sheet to the refrigerator until the bark has hardened.
Once completely cooled and hardened remove from the fridge and break apart into pieces.
Store in a sealed container in a cool dark place so it does not melt.

Texas Pecan Roca

 

 

 

 

 

 

Texas Pecan Roca

Yield: 36 pieces

Ingredients:

2 sticks (1/2 pound) butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon molasses
1 1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans, divided
36 Hershey Kisses, unwrapped

Directions:

Grease metal mini muffin baking tins with a non-stick spray. Set aside.
In a non-stick medium saucepan, mix together butter, sugar, water, and molasses and bring mixture to a slow boil using a wooden or silicone spoon. Do not use a whisk, over stirring will ruin the toffee and make it seperate. Attach candy thermometer and continue cooking until the thermometer reaches 295 degrees, stirring occasionally to prevent burning/sticking. Slow and steady will win this race. I kept my stove at medium-low heat, with a steady slow boil, and it took me 20 minutes. If you try turning up the heat, to speed it up, it will burn before it reaches the correct temperature. So be patient, it's worth the wait.
As soon as you reach 295 degrees, remove pan from heat and set on a hot pad. Stir in 1 cup of the pecans. Using a metal spoon, work quickly and carefully to fill each mini muffin tin 1/2 way full.
Once all tins are full, place one kiss on top of each candy. Wait a few minutes to let the heat melt the chocolate, and then using a mini spatula, or your finger, swirl melted chocolate to edges of candy. Sprinkle the remaining pecans along the tops of each and gently press into melted chocolate.
Let candies cool/harden overnight, or speed up the cooling time by popping them in the fridge. Use a toothpick to help pop the candies out of the tins. Store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Peanut Butter Fudge

 

Peanut Butter Fudge

 

Yield: 64 1-inch pieces

Ingredients

• 8 oz. unsalted butter, plus more for greasing pan
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter

• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 16 oz. confectioners' sugar

Directions

• Line an 8 x 8-inch baking dish with parchment paper. Lightly grease with butter. Combine the butter and peanut butter in a microwave safe bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave on full power for 2 minutes. Remove from the microwave, stir, and microwave on full power for 2 minutes more.
• Carefully remove the bowl from the microwave. Add the vanilla and confectioners’ sugar to the bowl. Stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until evenly combined. The mixture will become difficult to stir and lose its sheen.
• Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and spread into an even layer. Place an additional piece of parchment directly on the surface of the fudge. Refrigerate until cool, at least 2 hours. Use a large knife to cut into 1-inch pieces. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Homemade Caramels

Homemade Caramels

Ingredients:2 pounds brown sugar
2 cans sweetened condensed milk
1 pound (4 sticks) butter
16 ounces light corn syrup
2 Tablespoons Vanilla

Directions:

First, grease 1 or 2 9x13 pans with butter. (I only used one, but it really depends on how big you want your caramels. For this recipe, you could easily use two 9x13 pams.) In large pot over medium-high heat, melt butter. Stir in brown sugar. Once sugar is dissolved, add in corn syrup. Next, slowly add in sweetened condensed milk, stirring the whole time. Heat mixture to boiling and until a candy thermometer reads about 245 degrees. Continue to stir constantly so the bottom doesn't get scorched. You'll be stirring for awhile, so be prepared. Once the mixture is starting to thicken up, and the temperature is around 245 degrees you're ready to spread it in a pan and let it cool on counter for at least 2 hours. After 2 hours, if caramel is completely cool, remove it from the pan and slice into small pieces. You can use wax paper to wrap them up individually, just wrap a small piece around the caramel piece and twist the ends.

White Chocolate Pretzel Fudge

Ingredients

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
• 4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 15 ounces white chocolate, chopped
• 3/4 cup chopped pretzels

Instructions

1. In the bowl of your mixer, beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until smooth and no lumps remain.
2. In the top of a double boiler (or just a glass bowl set over a pot) over lightly simmering water, heat white chocolate, stirring until melted and smooth.
3. Stir the melted white chocolate and pretzels into the cream cheese mixture.
4. Spread into a parchment lined 8x8 baking dish and chill for 1 hour.
5. Cut into 1-inch squares

Rolo Fudge

40 rolo candies, cut in half

1 1/2 cup Marshmallow Cream

3 cup milk chocolate chips

1 can (14oz) sweetened condensed milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cup pecans, chopped

In a saucepan over low heat, melt marshmallow cream, milk and chocolate chips. Stir constantly until completely melted and creamy. Stir in vanilla and pecans. Fold in Rolo candy.

Pour into a foil lined 13x9 pan. Refrigerate until cool, cut into squares. Enjoy.

Buttercrunch Toffee

 

 

 

Buttercrunch Toffee

Adapted from David Lebovitz’s “The Perfect Scoop”
Makes 2 cups

• 1 cup almonds, pecans or hazelnuts
• 1 tablespoon water
• 4 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons packed light or dark brown sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips or 3 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped

1. To Prep the Almonds: Spread the almonds on a baking sheet, and bake them at 350 degrees F for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring them halfway through so they toast evenly. Let them cool, and chop them finely.
2. Set aside half of the chopped nuts. Place the other half on an ungreased baking sheet, and gather the nuts into an 8-inch circle. Set aside.
3. In a small saucepan fitted with a candy thermometer, combine the water, butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar over medium heat. (Don’t overstir!) Cook the mixture until it reaches 300 degrees F. Remove the pan from the heat, and stir in the baking soda and vanilla until just combined.
4. Pour the mixture onto your circle of almonds.
5. Sprinkle chocolate chips over the toffee, and set aside for 2 minutes while the chocolate melts. Using a spatula, spread the chocolate over the toffee.
6. Scatter the remaining half of your almonds over the chocolate. Let the toffee cool completely.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffle Cake Bites

1 box dark chocolate cake mix

3 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

¾ cup half and half

Mix together cake mix, eggs, vanilla extract and half and half.

Batter will be thicker. Pour batter into a greased 9x13 baking pan. Bake at 350

degrees for 28-32 minutes, until the cake springs back when lightly touched. Remove

from the oven and cool completely. Crumble cake into small, even pieces, placing

crumbs in a large bowl.

Add the following ingredients:

1 cup Chocolate Butter Cream Frosting or 1 cup Peanut Butter Frosting

3 pkg. (1.5 oz) regular size peanut butter cups, unwrapped and coarsely chopped

With the back of a spoon, mix together cake crumbles with ingredients until a thick

“dough” consistency forms, making it easy to shape into a cake bite.

Shape cake bites, evenly sized using a small cookie scoop and cool for 1-2 hours in the refrigerator, or 20 minutes in the freezer. Dip into dark melting chocolate. Drizzle with melted chocolate and or chopped peanuts.

There is Always a Reason to Bake

Peanut Butter Pretzel and Toffee Bonbons

Peanut Butter Pretzel and Toffee Bonbons
Printable Version with Picture
Printable Version

*Note: to chop the pretzel sticks, I place several large handfuls of pretzel sticks in a ziploc bag, seal, and roll over the top with a rolling pin until the pretzels are crunched up well. I measure out of the bag and continue the process until I have 2 cups. These bonbons can be made up to three days in advance. The peanut butter pretzel filling can be made and formed into balls and frozen for up to 2 months before dipping.
*Makes about 10-12 dozen bonbons
8 tablespoons butter, softened to warm room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
2 cups peanut butter
1 cup toffee bits
2 cups chopped/crushed pretzel sticks
1 pound chocolate (semisweet, milk, bittersweet)
2 tablespoons shortening or butter
Toffee, chopped nuts, chocolate jimmies for garnish
In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until evenly combined. Add the peanut butter and mix well, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Stir in the toffee bits and pretzel pieces by hand with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula.
Line a large rimmed baking sheet (12X18-inches or several smaller baking sheets) with parchment or waxed paper. Roll the peanut butter mixture into 1-inch or so (it doesn’t have to be exact) balls and place them on the lined baking sheets. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and freeze for 15-20 minutes until firm. At this point, the balls can be transferred to a sealed container or freezer ziploc bag and frozen for up to 2 months.
Meanwhile, melt the chocolate and shortening/butter together in a microwave-safe bowl or in a double boiler until completely melted and smooth (taking care not to overheat the chocolate as that can cause white streaks, bloom, to appear in the hardened chocolate).
One by one, toss a formed peanut butter/pretzel ball into the melted chocolate and using a fork, cover the ball with chocolate. Lift the covered bonbon out of the chocolate with the fork and tap the lower stem of the fork (right above where the rectangular tined fork part ends) on the edge of the bowl to let excess chocolate fall through the tines of the fork. Scrape the bottom of the fork along the edge of the bowl and transfer the covered bonbon to a parchment lined baking sheet (you can use the same baking sheet(s) used for freezing the balls if you have room). Set the bonbon very close to the parchment paper and using a second fork or butter knife, gently scoot the bonbon off the fork onto the baking sheet. Immediately sprinkle your garnish of choice on the top of the wet chocolate before it sets. Can top with sprinkles.

Refrigerate the bonbons until ready to serve.

Recipe Source: from Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey Treats for Kids and Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Valentine Chocolate Bark

2 bags white chocolate chips (I like Ghiradelli)
2 bags bittersweet (or semisweet) chocolate chips (I still like Ghiradelli)
2 cups Rice Krispies
conversation hearts
sprinkles

Place 3/4ths of the white chocolate chips in a glass or metal bowl.  Place over a pan of simmering water and stir until melted.  Remove from heat and stir in the remaining white chocolate chips until melted. (If the chocolate is too thick, stir in some Crisco...about 1 TBSP).

Stir in the Rice Krispies.

Spread onto a cookie sheet, lined with parchment paper. (An offset spatula works great.)

Melt the bittersweet chocolate using the same method. (You shouldn't need the Crisco here.)

Using an offset spatula, gently spread over the white chocolate.

{I don't use the word "sexy" very often on the blog....or ever....but really, melted dark chocolate?  Sexy.}
 

OK.....sprinkle on the conversation hearts and sprinkles.  Let set up until hardened.


Break into pieces.

 

{I served them in a vintage muffin tin. :)} 

Bake at 350

Chocolate Truffles

Chocolate Truffles
5 oz of your favorite dark chocolate
1/4 cup heavy cream
pinch of salt
1 1/2 tsp Grand Marnier (or other flavored liqueur, optional)
Cocoa powder or chopped nuts for rolling (I used three types of cocoa for color variation: unsweetened, Special Dark, and dutch process)
Chop the chocolate into small pieces and place into a small bowl. Heat cream, salt, and liqueur (if using) over medium heat until bubbles began to form along the edges. Pour cream over chocolate and let sit for a couple of minutes. Stir chocolate until smooth. If there are still unmelted pieces, microwave in 10-15 second bursts, stirring in between until all pieces have melted.
Scrap down the sides of the bowl and place in the fridge for 45 minutes to an hour. Once completely cooled, use a buttered melon baller, spoon, or small dough scoop to portion the chocolate in ~1 Tablespoon balls. (I cleaned up the shape by placing the ball of chocolate into my buttered palm and lightly rolling with the spoon.) If you have problems with the chocolate becoming too soft while you work, place the bowl in the freezer for ~10 minutes and then continue.
Place the truffle into cocoa powder (or chopped nuts) and roll to coat. Store in the fridge in an airtight container (I actually keep mine in the freezer and cover the bottom of the container with a dusting of cocoa powder).
Adapted from Martha Stewart Living, May 2000
Yields ~15 truffles

Chop the chocolate into small pieces and place into a small bowl. Heat cream, salt, and liqueur (if using) over medium heat until bubbles began to form along the edges. Pour cream over chocolate and let sit for a couple of minutes. Stir chocolate until smooth. If there are still unmelted pieces, microwave in 10-15 second bursts, stirring in between until all pieces have melted.
Scrap down the sides of the bowl and place in the fridge for 45 minutes to an hour. Once completely cooled, use a buttered melon baller, spoon, or small dough scoop to portion the chocolate in ~1 Tablespoon balls. (I cleaned up the shape by placing the ball of chocolate into my buttered palm and lightly rolling with the spoon.) If you have problems with the chocolate becoming too soft while you work, place the bowl in the freezer for ~10 minutes and then continue.
Place the truffle into cocoa powder (or chopped nuts) and roll to coat. Store in the fridge in an airtight container (I actually keep mine in the freezer and cover the bottom of the container with a dusting of cocoa powder).
Adapted from Martha Stewart Living, May 2000
Yields ~15 truffles5 oz of your favorite dark chocolate
1/4 cup heavy cream
pinch of salt
1 1/2 tsp Grand Marnier (or other flavored liqueur, optional)
Cocoa powder or chopped nuts for rolling (I used three types of cocoa for color variation: unsweetened, Special Dark, and dutch process)

Trix Cereal Bark

 

 

 

 

Trix Cereal Bark

Printable Recipe
8 oz white chocolate bar, broken into pieces
1 cup Trix cereal (or generic brand, as I used)
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Melt the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl for 1 minute (stirring half way).  Stir until smooth and pour onto prepare baking sheet.  Carefully spread chocolate into approximately a 10- x 6- inch rectangle, about 1/4- inch thick.  Scatter the cereal over the chocolate and gently press.
Chill until hardened.  Break into pieces and serve immediately or store in fridge.
Source:  Adapted from Tablespoon
(This month we are giving back to