The Conversation
Presenting the Bark Trifecta With These Peppermint, Cookies & Cream and S’mores Recipes
After seeing all the delicious treats in our DIY Foodie Gift Guide, we were inspired to create our very own giftable edibles. And of course, there’s no better way to start than by starting with a classic, holiday bark.
The best part about the bark is that it’s amazingly delicious, and so easy to make (no baking required)! To add variety, we created different flavors; cookie & cream, peppermint, and s’mores bark. Whether it’s for the kids in your life or adults, you definitely won’t be barkin’ up the wrong tree with this edible gift.
Ingredients:
– 8 candy canes
– 12 Oreos
– 5 graham crackers sheets (about half a package)
– 8 large marshmallows, or 16 mini marshmallows
– 24 oz (2 bags) white chocolate chips
– 12 oz (1 bag) semi sweet chocolate chips
First, Oreos. (you know we love ’em!)
Crush the Oreos in a plastic bag. You don’t want to crush them too finely, so stop when they’re are broken up into large chunks. Use anything in your kitchen to crush them, you can see we just used our handy balsamic vinegar bottle.
Now here’s the slightly tricky part. You’re going to melt one bag of the white chocolate chips (12 oz) in a double boiler. Use one large saucepan, fill it with water about halfway. Then, boil the water. When the water is boiling, turn it down to the lowest heat setting so it’s simmering. Once it’s simmering and not madly boiling, put another small saucepan inside the large saucepan, and fill it with the white chocolate chips.
Keep swirling the white chocolate as it melts. This process may take awhile, so be patient. If it gets too hot, the chocolate will burn and look like dough. If it gets to that state, it’s irreversible.
When the chocolate is all melted, remove from heat.
Then, mix in the crushed Oreos!
When it’s done mixing, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the mixture onto the baking sheet, and flatten with a spatula or the back of a wooden spoon. The thickness of your bark is up to you. We made it about a third of an inch thick. Then, pop it in the freezer for 20 minutes until it’s hardened.
Next, the peppermint bark!
The peppermint bark follows the same process as the Oreo bark. Crush the candy canes into large chunks. Melt one bag of white chocolate chips (12 oz) in a double boiler. Once it’s melted, remove the pan from heat and mix in the candy cane chunks. Then, flatten out on a lined baking sheet and pop in the freezer. So Christmas-y!
Freeze until it’s hardened. These candy canes definitely make us excited for Christmas.
Finally, s’mores bark!
Same deal. Crush the graham crackers into large chunks. Then, melt the chocolate and the marshmallows together in the double boiler. If you have mini marshmallows, you can save some to sprinkle on top of the bark. We wanted the full melty chocolate/marshmallow experience so we melted all our marshmallows into the chocolate. When they’re both melted, add in the graham crackers and mix.
Flatten out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Let it sit in the freezer until it solidifies, about 20 minutes. Ours was pretty thick so it took a little longer.
Now that all the layers have frozen, it’s time to break it down! We used our bare hands (insert man growl here) to break off pieces, but you can also use a fork.
When gifting, all you need is some parchment paper and cute twine to wrap it up. Aren’t they charming?
Nanette Wong
Nanette is an all around food enthusiast who loves transforming basic everyday foods into something delicious, and of course, full of sprinkles. You can see more of her at www.nanettewong.com.