Halloween Chocolate Bark
OMG, you all. SO GOOD!
I’ll get right to it with a few notes on homemade bark: I recommend using chocolate bars or disks rather than chocolate chips for this. There are stabilizers in chocolate chips that help them to retain their shape, which is why melting them can be gloppy and unsuccessful. You can melt chocolate chips in short bursts in a microwave, though I didn’t do that for my recipe development.
I’d also recommend at least doing a modified tempering of the chocolate, which I outline in the recipe, for a smooth, glossy and professional-looking bark with a snap. Chocolate that has not been tempered can be mottled, pale or grainy. Don’t be scared, though! Tempering is super easy.
Another note: I melt my chocolate on the stovetop because I’m old school like that and I don’t have a microwave. There are instructions online for melting chocolate using a microwave, but I use the double-boiler technique on my stovetop, which is simply a larger bowl inside a slightly smaller saucepan with hot water in it. I DIY my double-boiler. You don’t need a whole separate double-boiler unless you plan on making lots of chocolate treats. In which case, we need to hang out more.
18-ounces vegan, slavery-free chocolate (see note or introduction above), roughly broken into pieces or grated
1½ cups assorted extras, like seasonal marshmallows, pretzels, broken cookies, dried fruit, toasted nuts and more (I used vegan mini-marshmallows - maple flavor! -, pecans, crystallized ginger bits and broken cookies)
Sprinkle of flaky seas salt (optional)
Place parchment on a large, rimmed baking sheet.
Heat a couple of inches of water in a saucepan until hot but not boiling. Place ⅔ of the chocolate in the bowl that you will place over the saucepan; stir constantly until melted, remove from the saucepan, then add the reserved, unmelted chocolate, stirring until it is melted.
Pour this onto the baking sheet, spread it to evenness with a silicone spreader, offset spatula or large spoon, then sprinkle on your mix-ins. I like to lightly press the extras into the chocolate by hand. Now, sprinkle with optional salt, rubbing it between your fingers. At this point, the bark can cool and set at room temperature (this will take at least a couple of hours) or the refrigerator for quicker hardening. Break into pieces when it is solid. Store in a covered container away from heat.
Note: I recommend plain chocolate bars or disks, as opposed to chocolate chips, for this because they will melt properly.
OMG, you all. SO GOOD!
I’ll get right to it with a few notes on homemade bark: I recommend using chocolate bars or disks rather than chocolate chips for this. There are stabilizers in chocolate chips that help them to retain their shape, which is why melting them can be gloppy and unsuccessful. You can melt chocolate chips in short bursts in a microwave, though I didn’t do that for my recipe development.
I’d also recommend at least doing a modified tempering of the chocolate, which I outline in the recipe, for a smooth, glossy and professional-looking bark with a snap. Chocolate that has not been tempered can be mottled, pale or grainy. Don’t be scared, though! Tempering is super easy.
Another note: I melt my chocolate on the stovetop because I’m old school like that and I don’t have a microwave. There are instructions online for melting chocolate using a microwave, but I use the double-boiler technique on my stovetop, which is simply a larger bowl inside a slightly smaller saucepan with hot water in it. I DIY my double-boiler. You don’t need a whole separate double-boiler unless you plan on making lots of chocolate treats. In which case, we need to hang out more.
18-ounces vegan, slavery-free chocolate (see note or introduction above), roughly broken into pieces or grated
1½ cups assorted extras, like seasonal marshmallows, pretzels, broken cookies, dried fruit, toasted nuts and more (I used vegan mini-marshmallows - maple flavor! -, pecans, crystallized ginger bits and broken cookies)
Sprinkle of flaky seas salt (optional)
Place parchment on a large, rimmed baking sheet.
Heat a couple of inches of water in a saucepan until hot but not boiling. Place ⅔ of the chocolate in the bowl that you will place over the saucepan; stir constantly until melted, remove from the saucepan, then add the reserved, unmelted chocolate, stirring until it is melted.
Pour this onto the baking sheet, spread it to evenness with a silicone spreader, offset spatula or large spoon, then sprinkle on your mix-ins. I like to lightly press the extras into the chocolate by hand. Now, sprinkle with optional salt, rubbing it between your fingers. At this point, the bark can cool and set at room temperature (this will take at least a couple of hours) or the refrigerator for quicker hardening. Break into pieces when it is solid. Store in a covered container away from heat.
Note: I recommend plain chocolate bars or disks, as opposed to chocolate chips, for this because they will melt properly.
Vegan, Recipe, Chocolate, Bark, Halloween, Ginger, Marshmallows, Maple, Pumpkin, Dessert, Snack, Treat, Seasonal, Autumn