Candy Cane Bark And A Winner

So it is getting to be really cold here and that puts me in the mood for some yummy treats. And that right there is a fib, I don't need cold weather to have treats but it sure does make for a good excuse to eat and make them. Don't you think? Well anyway I made some really simple chocolates and I promptly brought them to work. Can you believe I didn't eat even one? Well such is life when you have too many good things to eat all at once. This was a nice quick treat it took all of 10 minutes to make and I got to let Pork Chop beat up some helpless candy. All in all you cannot beat that.

These little candy canes were a real pain to unwrap.

Pork Chop had a good time crushing them, he was all "die you candy cane scum!"  And I am not even joking, that is what he was saying.

  So to make this you need three things, chocolate, candy canes and a chocolate mold. You don't even need the mold if you plan to do a traditional bark, where you just spread the chocolate out on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. But since I have a million chocolate molds and I hate to break up chocolate bark and have it all different sizes and stuff, I did it my way. The only thing I would do differently would be to buy either the pre crushed candy canes or buy the larger ones. The tiny ones I was using were a real pain to unwrap. But other than that it was super easy.

There were a few larger bits left, which was okay as I was too lazy to to anything about it really.

I tried a few molds, but the plastic one was not the best for two layers, as the first one set and I tried to pipe the second layer on and tap the mold the chocolates would pop out.  So silicon is best for this.

That right there is just a big blob of chocolate and candy.

 So to start you want to crush up your candy canes and set them aside. I really don't have amounts for you as I was just doing a bit. But you want enough candy cane in your chocolate so that you can see it and taste it. Once you have your candy cane ready you melt your chocolate. I like to have the white chocolate on the top of my candy, so that is what you start with. Melt your chocolate and mix in some of the candy cane. I didn't add too much but it made the chocolate nice and thick. I put it in a disposable piping bag and snipped off the end. Then I put a thin layer in my molds. I made sure to tap the mold to settle the chocolate and make sure there were no bubbles. I put them all on a cookie sheet and put the whole thing into the freezer. Since it was small molds and a thin layer it didn't take long for it to set.

It gets sort of lumpy but that is no problem.

All ready to pipe.

see how tidy I was this time?  I know I am surprised too.

And the second layer.

This mold was very thin so I just did the white candy and it was perfect.

 While the first layer is freezing you want to melt your second chocolate. I have seen where the bark only has the mint in the first layer but I wanted to use up all the candy I had crushed, so I mixed it into the second layer of chocolate too. I did exactly t he same thing that I did with the first layer, making sure to tap the mold well as I went because the cold chocolate would make the new chocolate set really fast. So that was it. I let it set and when it was hard I just popped out the candy and felt happy that they were so cute. I put them in a container and left them in the fridge as our house gets hot with the heater on. And that was it, I took them to work and they were a hit. Which is nice because sometimes the easiest things are the best.

These are nice and thin.

These ones just look weird, they were from the plastic mold.

I am in love with these little ones, the mold was small but deep just perfect!

And with that done, now we have the results of my give away.  I had a total of  28 entries, and so I just used random.org and let it do it's thing. And the winning number from all the entries was  6 , which is Betsy (pharmgirl)  So thanks all for entering.  Betsy I will try to email you and then we can get this out to you.  If I for some reason cannot get a hold of Betsy in the next 48 hours we will have to move onto another winner.

S'more Bark

These marshmallows really are so cute, I could look at them all day.

 Well this is going to be a short and sweet post.  Sorry couldn't help myself, sweet, get it?

 Okay never mind, I just need to fill up space here people.

  So this is another one of those, I had left over stuff, and it was easier to make something then clean it all up.  So after my Cheesecake pops and my S'more cookies I had some left over melted chocolate, graham cracker crumbs and marshmallow bits.  I mean seriously if I didn't know how to put that together, I should not be allowed to eat chocolate ever again.

And this right here, this is where I make left overs tasty again.

This is all you need, the chocolate was already in the microwave when I realized I forgot to take a picture.

I know a little dramatic, but you know, I have to pump myself up somehow.

At this point I worried the stuff would not mix together well.

S'more Bark
By me, but I am sure it has been done before

-graham cracker crumbs
-melted candy melts or chocolate
-baby marshmallows

But it did, just perfectly.

  Mix your crumbs and chocolate until all smooth, then add about half of your marshmallows.  Mix again.  Then you can either spread it out on parchment on a cookie sheet or as I do, because I like things to be all the same shape, put it in a piping bag without a tip and fill whatever mold you want to.  Then before it sets sprinkle on the rest of your marshmallows.

I used a piping bag to try and not be too messy.  The word it "tried"I never said it worked.

  That's it people.  I did not give measurements as it was just left overs, but you want enough of the crumbs in the chocolate so you can actually taste it and it also depends on how much you want.  I used a silicone mold and just put it in the freezer, when they were set I popped them out, easy peasy.  I used the little left over I had and put it on parchment on a plate.  I like the look of bark but hate the different sizes, I may be a little OCD on that, but whatever, it's my bark.

And I always have a bit left over, so I just put it on a plate.  I hate breaking it up, I like uniform things.

 So there you go, how to be amazing and not have to clean up as much all in one post!

And see how easy that was?

I'm linking up HERE

Chocolate Blog Hop -Valentines Day Cake Batter Bark

So pretty, and so easy! And ignore the blur on the left, it's my finger, or a ghostly presence if you prefer.  I prefer the ghost, it implies that I know how to take pictures.  I know, it's not a ghost, sigh.

  So after the success of last months Citrus love blog hop, I was all excited to get to this months.  You know why?   Well, the theme is chocolate, and for anyone who has been around here before, you may know that I love me some chocolate.  I tend to mix it with weird things.  Bacon anyone?  So it was fate that I had to make something.

  Now I wanted to make something new to me, and I wanted it to be cute.  I also wanted to be able to make it fast as I am slowly thinking about working out again.  I said thinking people, I will commit soon.  Or not, who knows.

My silicon pans, and I think I paid like $2 for each at a warehouse sale.  I love sales.

  So when I saw this on How Sweet it is. I knew I had to make it.  The only thing is I hate dark chocolate, unless it is baked in a brownie or something, I don't like it.  So I used regular chocolate.  And by chocolate I mean candy melts, I have two 50 pound boxes of the things, so I better use it. ( I am not kidding, I have one of white and one of chocolate, and I am almost half way through both)

I know this is a lot of stuff to get together, but you know, for you I will try to make it work.

Cake Batter Bark
 How Sweet It Is

-white and milk chocolate candy melts
-2-3 TSPs white box cake mix
-sprinkles

Now I thought this would be perfect in my head, and well okay it worked fine, but some of the sprinkles were hard to see in the finished project.  Next time I will do them upside down, so dark chocolate first, then white then sprinkles.

  I wanted to make these valentines like, you know, because I love you!  (or I love me and I wanted more chocolate, who can really say)  I used my heart silicone baking mold.  I have a large one, a fancy one and a small one.  So I used all three, because you can give a large one to a friend and eat a  few small ones by your self.

  To start melt your white candy melts, I do this in the microwave at 30 second bursts.  Then when fully melted mix in your cake batter until smooth and let it sit for a few seconds.  I still had to add paraffin crystals, no matter what I do my white chocolate never melts nice.  While it sits, take your molds and sprinkle in your sprinkles.  I used small little hearts as they are the cutest and then a few larger ones to accent them.  See I am getting all fancy on you here.

Chocolate and cake mix, and you can really taste the cake in it.  I would know, I slopped a whole bunch on my hand and licked it off before I washed it.  It was good!

To fill my zip lock bag easier I put it in a cup.  I will not use them again, either they were too cheap or I am  just picky, but they were too hard to work with, flimsy and whatever, so I will splurge and use my 10 cent disposable piping bags.

  That's it people!  Now I did not measure, as I never do, so you can sort of just go with the flow so to speak.  if you are making a pan of it, go for a few cups of each, if you are going for a mold like me, you don't need as much.

  So once you have sprinkled your pans. ( I know there is a dirty joke in there somewhere)  take a disposable piping bag or a zip lock and fill it with the chocolate cake batter mix.

I had the hardest time cutting the tip off the bag was so flimsy, looking back I really should not try new things, stick with what you know.

You don't have to be perfect, I mean I am anyway, but for this no worries, it will all work out.

  Snip off an end of the bag and carefully fill your molds just a little bit, not too much or your bark will be too thick.  Then gently shake your molds, not too much, you don't want the sprinkles to move, but enough that the chocolate settles.  Then pop them into the fridge to set. I found that if I put them in the freezer the two layers do not stick together well.  That is what I did with my plate of left overs and it was a mess when I tried to break it up.

   While they set melt your other chocolate and put it into a bag or whatever you are using.  Once the first layer has hardened pull them out of the fridge then pipe on the chocolate, shake the mold a little to settle.  Then back into the fridge and you let them fully set.

I had left overs so made some traditional bark, it fell apart so I had to eat it all myself, which really is a win for me actually.

   I made mine thin as I wanted them to be like the bark you make on a pan, but not in a pan, you know?  You don't, well neither do I really.

 When you are ready just pop them out of the mold and be amazed at the cuteness.  Do it, be amazed!
Then for gift giving, you can pack them up however you like.  I would suggest a jar or a cute little box for the small ones.

I so should have put some corny love label on them, like take one when you need a hug.  Or something.  I don't write cards, I just buy them, so I look like I have something smart to say.

  And a nice bag with a cute tag for the larger ones.  Or if you are like me, you eat and hoard most of them, then put the left overs in sandwich bags and share with your work friends.

Okay, I hate that this is the better picture of them, ghost and all.

  Hope you enjoyed my super hard chocolate love recipe, I know it was complicated and all.  But sometimes simple is best, and you know you want to make some right?  Please visit the other blogs and hosts to see what awesomeness they have all come up with.  Happy Chocolate Luv!

  Here is a list of all the other great bloggers that are hosting with me this month, please check them out!

A Little Bit of Everything ~ Roxana ~ @RoxanaGreenGirl

ASTIG Vegan ~ Richgail ~  @astigvegan

Badger Girl Learns to Cook ~ Kimberly ~ @BdgrGrl

Baker Street ~ Anuradha ~ @bakerstreet29

Baking and Cooking, A Tale of Two Loves ~ Becky Higgins

Baking Extravaganza ~ Samantha

BigFatBaker ~ Erin ~ @BigFatBaker

Bon a croquer ~ Valerie ~ @Valouth

CafeTerraBlog ~ Terra ~ @CafeTerraBlog

Cake Duchess ~ Lora ~ @cakeduchess

Cakeballs, Cookies and More ~ Sue

Cooking with Books ~ Marnely ~ @nella22

Creative Cooking Corner ~ Karriann ~ @KarriannGraf

Easily Good Eats ~ Three Cookies

Elephant Eats ~ Amy

Georgiecakes ~ Georgie ~ @georgiecakes

Hobby And More ~ Richa ~ @betit19

Java Cupcake ~ Betsey ~ @JavaCupcake

Kitchen Belleicious ~ Jessica

Mike's Baking ~ Mike ~ @mikesbaking

Mis Pensamientos ~ Junia ~ @juniakk

No One Likes Crumbley Cookies ~ TR ~ @TRCrumbley

Oh Cake ~ Jessica ~ @jesshose

Preheat the Oven ~ Jason ~ @officialchefjae 

Rico sin Azucar ~ Helena ~ @ricosinazucar

Savoring Every Bite ~ Linda ~ @Spicegirlfla

Simply Reem ~ Reem ~ @simplyreem

Smart Food and Fit ~ Lisa ~ @LisaNutrition

Soni's Food for Thought ~ Soni ~ @sonisfood 

Sprint 2 the Table ~ Laura ~ @Sprint2theTable

Teaspoon of Spice ~ Deanna ~ @tspbasil 

That Skinny Chick Can Bake ~ Liz ~ @Thatskinnychick

The Dusty Baker ~ Jacqueline ~ @dustybakergal

The More Than Occasional Baker ~ Ros ~ @bakingaddict

The Spicy RD ~ EA ~ @thespicyrd 

The Wimpy Vegetarian ~ Susan ~ @wimpyvegetarian

Vegan Yack Attack! ~ Jackie ~ @veganyackattack

Vegetarian Mamma  ~ Cindy ~ @VegetarianMamma

You Made That? ~  Suzanne ~ @YouMadeThatblog