Simple Chocolate Bark Paired Alongside A Classic Cocktail With A Festive Twist!
Looking for something other than the usual Christmas cookie recipe or are you in need of a naughty little holiday treat? We've got you covered! It's December, we're celebrating the holidays with close family and indulging a little more than usual. We wanted to take a break from the expected cheese pairing and slip in a decadent surprise - but not to fear, we will always come back to cheese.
With ingredients you may already have at home you can make this simple chocolate bark in a snap. It's easy to prepare ahead of time and will keep for a few days when stored in an airtight container at room temperature - but we're sure it will be gone long before then.
We're really going all in and pairing the chocolate bark with a classic White Russian cocktail, but with a little holiday twist! By now, you should all know that we love to make simple syrups and we use them a lot. By incorporating flavors of the season into a simple syrup its easy to serve up any drink with a side of holiday cheer!
Simple Chocolate Bark
Ingredients:
* At least 2+ bars of baking chocolate. This will go fast so I would buy more than you think. You may use white, milk, dark, bittersweet, etc. *
* Toppings - Feel free to use whatever you have. Here are a few ideas:
- Flake Sea Salt
- Edible Flower Petals
- Dried or candied fruit
- Nuts or seeds
- Coconut
- Pretzels
- Candy canes or other festive candy
Instructions:
1. Melt the chocolate. I always use a DIY-double boiler method to melt chocolate because it's low and slow. However, you can melt chocolate in the microwave if you are attentive - work in 30-sec intervals and stir often to be sure that the chocolate does not burn.
2. Pour the melted chocolate on to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and spread evenly.
3. While the chocolate is still soft, add your toppings!
4. Let cool at room temperature for a few hours until it has hardened.
5.You may chill the chocolate in the refrigerator if you're in a pinch for time, but the chocolate may develop some light condensation which will show slightly on the surface when the water evaporates - sugar bloom, it sounds nice but it isn't.
* In the recipe pictured here I used two Ghirardelli Bittersweet 60% Chococolate Baking Bars and two Ghirardelli White Baking Bars and swirled them together in the middle. I topped the bittersweet chocolate with rose petals and dried strawberries and the white chocolate with lavender, orange zest, and blue bachelor's button petals. The flower petals came from our Flouwer Co. Edible Flower Petals.
Holly Jolly White Russian
Holly Jolly Simple Syrup:
Simmer the following ingredients on low until the sugar is fully dissolved. Set aside to cool before storing in an airtight bottle or container.
- 1 C Organic Sugar
- 1 C Water
- 1/4 C Mulling Spices - dried orange peel, cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, whole cloves, whole star anise, whole allspice, nutmeg.
Cocktail Ingredients:
- 2 oz Vodka
- 1 oz Kahlúa
- 1 oz Holly Jolly Simple Syrup - see above
- 1 splash heavy cream - or coconut milk if vegan
Instructions:
1. Add the vodka, Kahlúa, and simple syrup to a rocks glass filled with ice.
2. Top with the heavy cream and stir.
3. Enjoy!
Theresa and I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! We are so thankful for all of you and hope that these ideas inspire joy and fill the little moments with festive cheer!
Cheers!
Kristen
