This week, we're looking at some fun recipes for Valentine's Day that will leave you with lots of time to otherwise enjoy the day with your partner or other loved ones. We end the week with a sweet ending that takes just a few minutes to assemble and a bit longer to set. The end result is a sweet treat that's downright beautiful. Fill a pretty platter with some pieces of this bark and you'll have howls of appreciation on Valentine's Day or whenever you bring it to the table!
You might have already guessed that you can tweak this bark. If you don't like dark chocolate, you can use milk or white chocolate as the base and mix in whatever will look great swirled into the top. After the earlier winter holidays, I'm aching for some healthier options so I sprinkled mine with fruit and nuts. You could also use candies (sweet hearts and red hots, anyone?) or broken bits of cookies or toffee. You can even work in mini marshmallows and pieces of graham cracker (or teddy grahams for something super cute) for a s'mores themed treat!
Whether this is part of a dessert table for a Valentine's Day gathering, something to add to holiday treat bags, or part of a romantic nibble with your beloved, this simple bark is sure to become a go to treat for your special occasions or, let's face it, any day. After all, it only takes a few minutes to make and you can customize it so easily to your tastes. So however and whenever you make this fun bark, enjoy!
Dark Chocolate Trail Mix Bark
- 1 bag (12 oz.) dark chocolate chips
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
- Trail mix of your choice or mix of nuts and dried fruit as preferred (I used a mix of dried cranberries, cherries, pumpkin seeds, almonds, pecans, and cashews)
Melt the dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl in the microwave until melted, stirring after every 30 seconds to avoid overheating.
Pour the melted chocolate onto a silicon baking mat or parchment lined baking sheet and spread across the pan with the back of a spoon.
Melt the white chocolate in a manner similar to the dark chocolate. Add spoonfuls of the melted white chocolate onto the melted dark chocolate on the pan. Using a knife, swirl the white chocolate through the dark chocolate, creating pretty patterns. Do not over swirl or you will lose the patterns!
Add the trail mix or mix of nuts and dried fruit. Allow the mixture to fully cool - at least an hour - before breaking or cutting into pieces. Store the finished bark in the fridge or freezer. When you want to have some, let it come to room temperature and enjoy!
- Yields: About a pound of pretty trail mix bark
- Preparation Time: 15 minutes, plus cooling time