Tag Archives: easy candy

Double Chocolate Almond Butter Bark

Today, an old favourite gets a makeover. I have been making this treat for many years to give away as part of a holiday cookie box. It is always met with awe at how pretty it is and, more importantly, how addictively delicious it is. The original was made with peanut butter but this year, I went rogue and used almond butter.

There is no baking involved and that gorgeous marbling effect on top takes about 40 seconds to create. No skill involved. It’s the perfect last minute holiday present or hostess gift. Everyone loves it and people will be impressed by your mad pastry chef skills.


A few tips to make sure yours comes out perfectly.

  • Line the baking pan with foil and then lay a piece of parchment paper on top of that.
  • Use real white chocolate, not white compound coating chocolate. Real white chocolate is ivory coloured. Compound coating chocolate is white and tasted like wax.
  • Melt the white chocolate in a bowl over gently simmering water, or on very low power in the microwave. White chocolate does not like high heat. You will scorch it.
  • I suggest adding chopped almonds to the mixture for extra crunch. Please use toasted almonds. Untoasted almonds take like sawdust when you chew them. Salted roasted almonds are an excellent choice.
  • Use good quality bittersweet chocolate for drizzling.
  • Don’t forget to finish it with flaky sea salt while the chocolate is still wet.
  • Give the bark at least 2 hours to chill before cutting it.
  • A large sharp chef’s knife or serrated knife is easiest for cutting into nice squares, although no one will complain if they get irregular shards.

Go forth and create. This confection is one of my favourites to make. I feel so artistic when I swirl the wet chocolate and create beauty.

Click here to print recipe for Double Chocolate Almond Butter Bark.

 

Marbled Peanut Butter Truffles

dipped 1Just in case you haven’t had enough chocolate or sugar by this point in December, I’m bringing you Marbled Peanut Butter Truffles. You’re welcome! what you'll needThis is an old recipe, from the December 1988 issue of Gourmet Magazine. It has stood the test of time. My girlfriend Marla and I would spend a weekend in my kitchen every December creating hundreds of these truffles for gifts. We kept it simple and just rolled them in cocoa powder. I have updated the recipe slightly, by dipping them in a mixture of bittersweet, milk and white chocolate to create a marbled coating.

Bittersweet chocolate, peanut butter, cream, and butter are melted together. melting_Chill for about 3-4 hours and then use a small scoop to form truffles. scoopingMelt bittersweet, milk and white chocolate. Get organized and set up the dipping station. ready to dipOnce you start, the dipping goes fairly quickly. Check it out in this video I created.

 

Click here to print recipe for Marbled Peanut Butter Chocolate Truffles.

dipped 2