Irene, Here are five simple recipes to try. They all work and don't require a thermometer. The last one is easy to make in your microwave if you don't want to get fancy with the chocolate. If you use expensive white chocolate you might want to take the trouble suggested in the recipe. I find that various kinds of melted chips work just as well for these and disappear just the same. If you try any of these, let us know how they turned out for you.
*** Never Fail Chocolate Nut Toffee (24 pieces) 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts 1/2 cup butter 3/4 cup brown sugar 1 6 oz package chocolate chips (1 cup) 1. Press nuts on bottom of 8 inch square pan. 2. Boil butter and brown sugar for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. 3. Pour immediately over nuts. 4. Spread chocolate chips on top, and place a bread board over the pan to hold the heat. 5. When chocolate has softened, spread evenly. 6. Keep in the refrigerator. *** EASY RITZ TOFFEE Prep 30 MIN Total 2 HR 50 MIN Servings 32 40 Ritz crackers 1 cup butter 1 cup sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 bag (11.5 oz) milk chocolate chips (2 cups) 1 tablespoon Betty Crocker candy sprinkles Heat oven to 350F. Line 15x10x1-inch pan with foil. Spray foil with cooking spray. Place crackers in single layer in pan. In 2-quart saucepan, cook and stir butter, sugar and salt over medium heat until butter is melted. Heat to boiling, stirring frequently. Boil 7 to 9 minutes longer, stirring frequently, until light brown color. Remove from heat. Add vanilla; stir until blended. Immediately pour mixture evenly over crackers in pan; spread to cover. Bake 13 to 15 minutes or until bubbly and brown in color. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top of cracker mixture. Let stand 5 minutes. Spread chocolate evenly over cracker mixture. Sprinkle with candy sprinkles. Cool completely, about 2 hours or until chocolate is set. Break into pieces. Store covered in refrigerator up to 1 week. *** CRANBERRY MACADAMIA BARK Fill Christmas tins with this special candy to give as gifts 1 pound white confectionery coating or Almond Bark candy coating cut into pieces 1 jar (3-1/2 ounces) macadamia nuts 1/2 cup dried cranberries Melt coating in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring until smooth. Add nuts and cranberries; mix well. Spread onto a foil-lined baking sheet. Cool. Break into pieces. Yield: 1-1/4 pounds. *** White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Bark 2 cups semisweet chocolate morsels 2 cups white morsels (recommended: Guittard Choc-Au-Lait) 2/3 cup toasted macadamia nuts or toasted almonds, coarsely chopped Line a 13 by 9-inch cookie sheet with waxed paper, allowing 2 inches of paper to hang over sides. Melt all but 1/4 cup of semisweet chocolate morsels in microwave on medium power for 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, or until smooth. Pour chocolate onto prepared sheet and spread to cover entire surface and form 1 even layer. Melt all but 1/4 cup of white chips in microwave on medium power for 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, or until smooth. Drizzle melted white chocolate over semisweet chocolate layer. Using a toothpick or skewer, swirl the melted chocolates together, creating a marbled effect. Place nuts in a plastic bag and crush, using a rolling pin. Sprinkle chocolate with nuts and remaining semisweet and white morsels. Gently press toppings into melted chocolates. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, or until chocolate is firm. Remove waxed paper from chocolate. Cut or break chocolate into bite-size pieces. *** WHITE CHOCOLATE HOLIDAY BARK >From Food Network Kitchens Pistachios and dried cranberries make this Christmas candy even more festive. RECIPE SUMMARY Yield: About 1 1/2 pounds Prep time: 30 minutes Cook time: 5 minutes Inactive prep time: 30 minutes to 1 hour Ease of preparation: Intermediate INGREDIENTS 1 pound finely chopped white chocolate 1 1/2 teaspoons nut or plain oil 1/2 cup dried cranberries 1 1/4 cups shelled pistachio nuts, toasted and papery coating peeled Equipment: Chocolate thermometer INSTRUCTIONS Tempering the chocolate for the bark requires a double boiler. If you don't have a double boiler, improvise one by using a saucepan and a stainless steel bowl: Nestle the bowl into the saucepan, allowing a few inches of space to remain between the bottom of the bowl and the bottom of the saucepan. Keep an extra bowl of a similar size on hand to transfer the chocolate for cooling. Rest the chocolate thermometer on a towel. Line a baking sheet with foil. Pour a couple inches of water into the bottom half of the double boiler and heat over medium-low to just below a simmer. Put the chocolate in the top half of the double boiler and set over the hot water. Slowly melt the chocolate, stirring with a heat-resistant rubber spatula. As the chocolate melts, check the temperature periodically to make sure it stays between 82 and 86 degrees F. If it starts to rise above this temperature, quickly transfer the chocolate to the bowl on reserve and stir briskly to reduce heat. Return bowl to double boiler to maintain heat between 82 and 86 degrees F. Remove bowl from over the hot water just before all the chocolate melts. Stir vigorously until the chocolate melts completely. Check temperature again. Stir in the oil until evenly blended. Chocolate is now tempered and ready to use. Keep within the 82 to 86 degree F range, returning bowl briefly to the double boiler if necessary. Quickly stir the fruit and nuts into the chocolate. Spread chocolate mixture out on the prepared baking sheet so it's about 1/2-inch thick and the fruit and nuts are coated. Set bark aside at room temperature to harden. Break into angled pieces. Store in an airtight container at room temperature. COOK'S NOTES If you peel off the papery coating on the pistachios, they will look even greener. Blanch the nuts in a pot of boiling water, drain, and then rub them in a folded towel to loosen the skins. Pamela Fairchild <[email protected]> -----Original Message----- From: Cookinginthedark On Behalf Of Irene Rehman via Cookinginthedark Sent: Monday, February 10, 2020 7:48 PM To: [email protected] Cc: Irene Rehman <[email protected]> Subject: [CnD] Chocolate Bark Greetings, I want to make Almond bark and Pretzel bark, and wondering if it is as simple as melting chocolate morsels, or even using melting wafers, and stirring in the almonds or pretzels. Has anyone made chocolate bark? Irene R Pennsylvania _______________________________________________ Cookinginthedark mailing list [email protected] http://acbradio.org/mailman/listinfo/cookinginthedark _______________________________________________ Cookinginthedark mailing list [email protected] http://acbradio.org/mailman/listinfo/cookinginthedark
