Candy
Chocolate Bark
My Aunt was having a late Thanksgiving dinner tonight because she was away when we had our actual Canadian Thanksgiving. I made an apple and pear crisp for dessert but I also thought it would be nice to have a little chocolate fix to serve along side of the crisp as well. I got the recipe from the 'Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics' cookbook, I altered the recipe slightly and it turned out well. She states in the cookbook that this version of chocolate bark is a French style because the nuts and fruit are embedded on top of the chocolate rather than the U.S version of chocolate bark where the nuts and fruit are mixed into the chocolate. Either way you make it, this recipe is fast and good!
Chocolate Bark
6 Ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped (I used chocolate chips)
5 Ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
3/4 Cups whole cashews
1/2 Cup craisins
1) Preheat oven to 350F and toast the cashews for about 5-7min then set aside to cool
2) In a microwave proof bowl, mix together both chocolates and microwave for 30sec
3) Stir chocolate every 30sec until it begins to melt then start stirring the chocolate every 10sec
4) Once chocolate has almost completely melted, remove it from the microwave and stir it vigorously until the chocolate becomes smooth and slightly cooled (stirring helps make it glossy)
5) Pour melted chocolate onto a 13*9 piece of parchment paper and spread evenly
6) Sprinkle cooled cashews and craisins evenly over top of the chocolate and very slightly press them into the chocolate
7) Let chocolate cool at room temperature until set or if you are in a hurry you can put it in the fridge then break into pieces and enjoy!
Caramel Popcorn
I love popcorn, but not the microwave stuff, the real stuff that you make on the stove in a pot full of kernels and oil. My boyfriend makes the best popcorn, we eat it almost everyday. My boyfriend's brother was over a while ago and made some microwave popcorn but hardly ate any of it. Since there was so much left over I decided to cover it with caramel, toss it with almonds and call it delicious. You can make this recipe with plain popcorn but microwave just as good because it already has extra butter and salt added to it.
Caramel Popcorn
1/4 Cup butter
1/2 Cup brown sugar
1/3 Cup corn syrup
1 Tbsp peanut butter (don't worry you dont taste it, its just for texture)
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp vanilla
A handful of nuts (I used almonds)
1) Make popcorn ahead of time and let it set to room temperature
2) In a heavy pot on high heat stir together butter, brown sugar, corn syrup and peanut butter until it comes to a boil
3) Let it boil for 5min or until it reaches a rich caramel color and smells just right (do not over boil or the mixture will burn very fast)
4) Take the pot off the heat and stir in baking soda and vanilla, the mixture will bubbly up and become very sticky and gooey (yummy!)
5) Add the nuts to the popcorn and then pour the caramel mixture over all the popcorn and nuts
6) Carefully (the mixture will be very hot) stir the popcorn until it is evenly coated then spread it evenly onto a baking sheet
7) Bake popcorn at 250F for 30min-60min stirring every 10min (the longer you bake the fluffier the popcorn will get), then remove from oven and enjoy! (this mixture lasts a few days stored in a ziploc bag)
Cranberry Nut Chocolate Squares
My mom just bought me two new cookbooks for my birthday! YAY me! So I thought I would crack the seal on one of my new books by making a simple treat for myself. This recipe is great because it is very versitile especially if your a picky eater or have an allergy to something. For example, you could substitue the nuts for raisins or you could substiute the corn syrup for peanut butter if you want a less sugary version. I like to use this site called Allergies and Me to help me think of recipe ideas and help me when I'm substituting ingredients. So enjoy this easy recipe and feel free to make any changes to satisfy your needs.