Christmas baking: cranberry almond bark

We really really love bark in our house (as you may remember: peppermint bark, coconut bark, toffee pretzel bark.).  Maybe because sometimes we're a little bit lazy, and maybe because it just tastes so darn good!

The toasted almonds and dried cranberries are such perfect flavors for winter, and we always make some for Christmas!  But honestly, there is no right or wrong time to make this bark.

p.s. Christmas is in 3 days....say what?

I'd just like to recommend you bringing this bark to the next party, family gathering, dinner, or potluck you go to.  So simple, but it looks so fancy.  Impress your friends, co-workers, boss, or in-laws.  They'll love you for sure!
(I'm so not ashamed to bribe people with food....a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do, right?)

Cranberry Almond Bark

Ingredients:

1/3 cup slivered almonds (blanched)

1/2 pound milk chocolate, chopped

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1 oz white chocolate

Directions:

1)  Spread your almonds out on a baking sheet, and bake at 350 degrees for about 8 minutes, or until toasted, and set aside.

2)  Melt milk chocolate in a double boiler.

3)  Remove chocolate from heat, an stir in almonds and dried cranberries.

4)  Pour onto a baking sheet lined with wax paper or parchment paper.  Spread evenly to about 1/4" thickness.

5)  Melt white chocolate in double boiler.

6)  Drizzle white chocolate over milk chocolate before the milk chocolate has set, and use a fork to swirl designs in the white chocolate.

7)  Refrigerate until firm.  Break up into pieces and store in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer until ready to serve.

p.s. ♥ kelsey

tasty tuesday: coconut bark

My family has recently started using coconut oil, and man is it delicious.  I am not going to lie, sometimes I just eat it... like with a spoon.  

 I don't care if that makes me a weirdo!  It is so smooth and coconutty, totally worth any judgement I may receive.

However, I recently discovered a recipe for coconut bark on Kasey's Kitchen, and I knew I had to try it out.  With crunchy coconut and semi-sweet or dark chocolate, it is way better than plain coconut oil!

Coconut Bark

by: Kasey's Kitchen

Ingredients:
1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1 cup coconut oil
1 cup chocolate chips

A sprinkling of salt

Directions
1. Melt coconut oil. You don't have to completely melt it, but enough so you can easily mix in the coconut and spread it in a pan.
2. Mix in both coconuts. (I like the bark not super sweet, but if you have more of a sweet tooth, feel free to use all sweetened coconut, or all unsweetened if you like. I like the crunch the unsweetened has!
3. Line a 9x13 (or something similar, I didn't quite fill mine up - it just depends how thick you want it) with tin foil. *Check out the neat trick my mom showed me!
4. Press the coconut mixture in the pan. Spread it out evenly, and however thick you want!
5. Let this set in the fridge for about 10-15 minutes.
6. Melt the chocolate, and spread evenly over the cooled mixture.
7. Sprinkle a bit of salt over the top!
8. Pop back in the fridge, and let the chocolate harden.

9. When it has set break or cut into pieces.

*Also, we learned a new and ridiculously easy way to help line a pan with tinfoil!  First, measure out your tinfoil, and then turn your pan upside down, and fold the tinfoil around it.  Then, turn your pan right side up, and place your tinfoil inside!  Your tinfoil will be a teensy bit too big, but it's much easier to handle this way!

I have made this recipe 3 or 4 times in the last couple of weeks. It is a great go to snack when you need just a little something! I have made it in bark form and in puck form, using mini muffin tins. I put them in the freezer for a bit, and then just flipped it upside down and they all popped out! I have experimented with a few different things, using dark chocolate, and drizzling the chocolate instead of spreading (for those who are watching their sugar intake), as well as varying levels of sweetness. All have been great, and everyone in the family likes something a little bit different! I have even left an entire corner chocolate free for my mom!

So have fun with this recipe! It is very forgiving, and I'm sure any changes or additions will work just fine.

Enjoy!

p.s.  ♥ jordyn & kelsey 

Christmas Baking: peppermint bark

 Yesterday we made incredibly addicting toffee pretzel bark, and today we're here with an even easier recipe for peppermint bark!  Truly, this isn't much of a recipe, but it's too good not to share.

Peppermint Bark

Ingredients:

white chocolate*

candy canes

*you can get fancy with your white chocolate and use Callebaut, or you can go the cheaper route and just use white chocolate melting wafer.

Directions:

1)  First, place your candy canes in a large plastic bag, and use a meat hammer/rolling pin/etc to smash them into small pieces.  You can use a fine strainer to sift off the very fine candy cane dust to save for later (we sprinkle it on top to decorate the bark.

2)  Melt your white chocolate in a large saucepan.

3)  Stir in the candy cane bits, and pour mixture onto a parchment lined baking sheet.  

4)  Sprinkle with the super fine dusty and/or sprinkles.  Allow to cool in the fridge, and then break into chunks and serve.

*In addition to serving this as traditional bark chunks, we also piped some of the chocolate into snowflake molds!  These worked wonderfully, and were a nice change from the norm.

Again, this bark is dangerously addicting!  So make it at your own risk!

p.s.  ♥ kelsey and jordyn

tasty tuesday: toffee pretzel bark

I've moved over to a new blog!  Head to The Farmer's Daughter for the full recipe and post!

p.s.  ♥ kelsey