First, I start with Ghirardelli dark chocolate or white chocolate melting wafers....
I set up a "simmer" system on my tiniest burner, the itsiest bitsiest burner I have on my stove... at the lowest possible heat.... and I set a 3 quart saucepan with about an inch-and-a-half of water in it... Just enough to steam the bottom of the bowl I'm going to set on top.
Grab a Pyrex or glass bowl. Set it over the pan. Make sure the bowl comes to the edge of the pan, we don't want steam getting into the chocolate. Water and melting chocolate FIGHT.
No fighting at Christmas!!!!
Throw a whole bunch of melting wafers into the bowl... Okay, I can get more scientific, but really, with this, it's not a big deal....
Melt the wafers in the bowl over the water. Stir now and then.
Cover a large cookie sheet with aluminum foil.
Add more wafers and stir them into melted wafers in bowl...
Add dry roasted almonds.... I like a lot of almonds-to-chocolate ratio, so I add a lot.
Stir.
Spread over aluminum foil until desired thickness... I like single layer nuts so I spread it thinly... Cool.
When hard, break into pieces.
Repeat with White Chocolate melting chips.
Like every single step... repeat. Repeat. Repeat... ;)
And then you have two big trays of chocolate and white chocolate salty deliciousness to share with family and friends.
Friends will love you.
Family might cut you some slack when they want to talk about someone. #freepass!!!
Break into pieces and it's ready to serve!
This looks really nice if you serve foil-wrapped candies in the middle of a candy dish, with bark on either side...
We have snow here! At last winter has come to the Great Lakes and the donkeys are kind of stoic... the little one, "Tom" is not amused... the hens are SCARED TO DEATH and don't want to come out to eat!
And it's so much prettier now than covered with gray trees, brown dirt, gray branches, gray roads, gray skies....
Oh, yes! Give me snow!
Boots and mittens have earned their day!
:)
We're on the 12 day countdown here, and we're actually having our big family Christmas on the 23rd... Early!!!
And we never do that, so this is an adventure for us. Both Manhattan boys/men are coming home and have to leave on Christmas, so we're jumping the gun and it will be so much fun to have almost the whole family here. Our North Carolina branch won't be here, but we'll be missing them from afar... and raising a mug to their health.
And for all of you.... a Very Merry Christmas!!!
You can find her on her pumpkin farm in WNY where she curls up in the dark of night, writing sweet stories and baking really good cookies. Any time of year!
Ruthy, you had me at almond bark. And those melting wafers are so easy to work with. I love the white ones for dipping pretzel rods, dunking Oreo truffles, etc.
ReplyDeleteOh, a big Christmas at Ruthy’s house. What fun. Especially now that there’s snow. Funny about the donkey and the hens. You’ll have to get the kids to coax them—well, Tom anyway—and show him how Winter is done.
Mindy, Tom is definitely reluctant! I'm putting hay in the shed and outside so he doesn't starve... the silly little fellow! It's 10 degrees this morning, so I hope everyone is somewhat cozy.... and a young rooster has appeared among the new hens... oh mylanta, that wasn't the intention.... and he's as nervous about the snow as the ladies!!!!
DeleteIt will be a long winter if those donkeys don't embrace snow. And they come equipped with fur coats! But the hens...well, really, who can blame them? You need to knit them sweaters and booties and then they'll perk up. :-)
ReplyDeleteI didn't realize that almond bark would be so easy(ish) to make. I've had trouble with the melting chocolate for candy making and I suspect it's because of the steam now that I see you've mentioned that. Who knew? Ruthy, that's true.
So excited that you are getting nearly the whole clan together for Christmas. Starting on the 23rd is just going to give you longer to keep the celebration going. Merry Christmas, Ruthy!
Kav, we're excited too! It's so fun to gather together. The busyness of life pulls us in so many directions and we get silly and let time slip away.
DeleteYes, the steam is a killer... and using the Ghirardelli has been fool proof. I used to use the regular chocolate chips but they're more sensitive ( a little less lecithin I think) and then they turn grayish fairly quickly. Not pretty! But the Ghirardelli melting wafers are great quality, silky smooth and don't "gray" which means the candy looks as good as it tastes!!!
I love almond bark because it's so easy! And you can make a lot in very little time.
ReplyDeleteAnd I've made it with crushed candy canes (yummy!) and peanuts, but never almonds.
Duh! It's ALMOND BARK!
So this year, I'm using almonds!
Have fun with your snow, Ruthy. We need it here! Very little snow last year and sparse rain through the spring and summer...and non-existent rain in the fall has set us up for a very dry year. And now the fires start.
We need snow. Lots of it!
I saw your fire post on facebook and I have to commend you for the common sense you showed with it. Those fires in certain parts of the country have been happening as long as we've got history from the Native Americans and the early pioneers... And as awful as they are, they're pretty cyclical, aren't they?
DeleteSo then logic would tell us to not overly settle burn areas, but then logic would tell us not to build a city in a basin alongside a monstrous Gulf being fed by a monstrous ocean...
Oops.
Praying for all... don't think I'm unsympathetic, I'm not. I just wonder at our human sensibilities sometimes.
And they've got rain predicted Monday and Tuesday...
To melt our snow!!!!
Oh my stars!!!
Ruthy, I don't know why I never thought to make bark! I usually spoon out candies in small blobs. THAT'S SO MUCH MORE WORK!!! You're a genius. I will do this next time!
ReplyDeleteI'm cracking up at poor Tom and the chickens in the snow!
Missy, this stuff is so expensive at the candy stores, and it is so easy!!!! Happy people... and then they think I'm like SO COOL....
DeleteWe know better, but I shall allow them to think such things! :)