Tag Archives: Holiday Gifts

Double Chocolate Almond Butter Bark

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Today, an old favourite gets a makeover. I have been making this treat for many years to give away as part of a holiday cookie box. It is always met with awe at how pretty it is and, more importantly, how addictively delicious it is. The original was made with peanut butter but this year, I went rogue and used almond butter.

There is no baking involved and that gorgeous marbling effect on top takes about 40 seconds to create. No skill involved. It’s the perfect last minute holiday present or hostess gift. Everyone loves it and people will be impressed by your mad pastry chef skills.


A few tips to make sure yours comes out perfectly.

  • Line the baking pan with foil and then lay a piece of parchment paper on top of that.
  • Use real white chocolate, not white compound coating chocolate. Real white chocolate is ivory coloured. Compound coating chocolate is white and tasted like wax.
  • Melt the white chocolate in a bowl over gently simmering water, or on very low power in the microwave. White chocolate does not like high heat. You will scorch it.
  • I suggest adding chopped almonds to the mixture for extra crunch. Please use toasted almonds. Untoasted almonds take like sawdust when you chew them. Salted roasted almonds are an excellent choice.
  • Use good quality bittersweet chocolate for drizzling.
  • Don’t forget to finish it with flaky sea salt while the chocolate is still wet.
  • Give the bark at least 2 hours to chill before cutting it.
  • A large sharp chef’s knife or serrated knife is easiest for cutting into nice squares, although no one will complain if they get irregular shards.

Go forth and create. This confection is one of my favourites to make. I feel so artistic when I swirl the wet chocolate and create beauty.

Click here to print recipe for Double Chocolate Almond Butter Bark.

 

English Toffee

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stack-of-toffee Sadly, I never met my father-in-law as he died before I met my husband, and my mother-in-law died shortly before we became engaged. But I lucked out with four brother-in-laws and and  one sister-in-law. My husband’s siblings welcomed me into the family with open arms and have always treated me as one of their own.

When I moved to Ottawa 25 years ago, I felt quite isolated after leaving all my family and friends behind in Toronto. My sister-in-law (who I am blessed to also call my friend), sent me regular care packages to ease my loneliness. The parcels almost always contained a box of Phipps Krunch, a delicious confection of crunchy caramel, roasted almonds and milk chocolate. Nothing like a heap of butter and sugar to fill the emotional void of sadness.

I was so excited to find a recipe for English Toffee in Bobbette and Belle’s new cookbook. It looked exactly like Phipps Krunch. I had to try my hand at making it.

Making toffee is not difficult. It just requires a candy thermometer and some patience. I love the chemistry of candy making. I feel like a magician when I turn simple ingredients like butter and sugar into something so glorious.

 

I was thrilled with the results. The buttery crunchy toffee is just on the edge of bitter, making it the perfect companion for  that blanket of dark chocolate. Nutty toasted almonds take this candy to the next level. Please do not forget to toast the nuts. Untoasted nuts are one of my biggest culinary pet peeves. They taste like sawdust. Toasting nuts is one of the simplest ways to improve the flavour profile of anything.

Just preheat oven to 350°F and place nuts on a baking sheet. Roast for 10-12 minutes until they become toasty brown and fragrant. Let them cool completely before using or storing. If you are not going to use them right away, store them in the freezer, as they can go rancid quickly.

wedges-on-a-plateThis makes a ton of toffee, so keep some for yourself and give the rest away as gifts. You will be quite beloved.

Click here to print recipe for English-Toffee.

Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Bark

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Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Bark stacked on a dark surface, featuring marbled chocolate swirls and chopped peanuts, with a spoonful of peanut butter beside i

There’s something irresistible about the contrast in this Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Bark: the creaminess of white chocolate and peanut butter, the crunch of salted peanuts, and the crisp snap of dark chocolate. Sweet, salty, smooth, and crunchy — it’s a little symphony of textures in every bite.

But the real magic, for me, happens before the bark even sets. I’ve never been much of an illustrator, so baking became my creative outlet, and this recipe is where that artistic side comes alive. Pulling a knife through layers of melted chocolate to create a marbled swirl feels almost meditative. Even after more than 150 batches over 18 years, it still makes me smile.

Watch it come together:

Keys to Success in making Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Bark

  • Use good-quality chocolate: This is one of those recipes where the chocolate really matters. Avoid chocolate chips — they’re formulated to hold their shape in the oven, which means they contain very little cocoa butter. Because of that, chocolate chips don’t melt smoothly, can turn grainy, and often set with a dull finish. For the best results, use couverture-style chocolate. My favourites are Valrhona and Callebaut (I buy mine from the Vanilla Food Company). For the white chocolate, I love Valrhona White Feves or Callebaut White Callets, and for dark chocolate, Valrhona Manjari 64% is my go-to.
  • Use the right peanut butter: Melt the white chocolate and peanut butter together in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of gently simmering water. And please — don’t use natural or health-food store peanut butter here. You want the classic, creamy, emulsified kind (Kraft or Skippy are perfect) so the mixture stays smooth and stable when it cools. Once melted and silky, stir in salted roasted peanuts for crunch.
  • Line your pan well: Line a jelly roll pan with both foil and parchment. The foil adds structure, and the parchment prevents sticking. Together, they make cleanup almost effortless.
  • Cut the bark cleanly: After the bark has chilled and set, let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes before cutting. Score it gently with a paring knife into roughly 3-inch squares, then use a large, sharp serrated knife to cut through. A brief rest at room temp keeps the bark from shattering and gives you beautifully clean edges.

Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Bark

A creamy, crunchy, sweet-salty bark made with white chocolate, peanut butter, roasted peanuts, and swirled dark chocolate. Beautifully marbled and perfect for gifting.
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Servings 18 squares
Calories 519 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 13×18 inch jelly roll pan,

Ingredients
  

Peanut Butter Layer

  • 680 grams white chocolate, coarsely chopped
  • 382 grams smooth or chunky peanut butter, Kraft or Skippy, do not use natural
  • 142 grams roasted, salted peanuts, coarsely chopped

Chocolate Swirl

  • 340 grams bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
  • 113 grams white chocolate, coarsely chopped

Instructions
 

  • Prepare the pan: Line a 13×18-inch jelly roll pan with foil. Place a sheet of parchment paper on top of the foil.
    (Using both makes removing and cutting the bark much easier.)
  • Make the peanut butter layer: Melt the 680 g white chocolate and peanut butter together in a large heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of gently simmering water.
    Stir occasionally until smooth.
    Stir in the chopped peanuts.
  • Melt the chocolates for swirling: In a separate medium heatproof bowl, melt the bittersweet chocolate over a pot of simmering water, stirring occasionally.
    In a small bowl, melt the remaining 113 g white chocolate over simmering water.
    (Alternatively, you can melt either chocolate in the microwave at 50% power in 1-minute increments, stirring between each.)
  • Assemble and marble bark: Remove all bowls from the saucepans.
    Pour the peanut butter mixture into the prepared pan and spread it evenly to the edges.
    Transfer the melted bittersweet chocolate to a disposable piping bag. Pipe lines or zigzags of dark chocolate across the peanut butter layer.
    Repeat with the 113 g melted white chocolate, piping lines in between the dark chocolate.
    Using the tip of a small sharp knife or tip of a wooden skewer, drag through the piped chocolate to create a marbled swirl pattern.
    Chill the bark until completely firm, at least 2 hours or overnight.
  • Score and cut the bark: Let the chilled bark sit at room temperature for 10 minutes.
    Using the tip of a paring knife, gently score the surface into 18 squares (3 rows by 6).
    Cut along the scored lines with a large sharp serrated knife.
    (Letting it warm slightly prevents the bark from shattering and produces cleaner edges.)
  • Storing: Store in an airtight container in the fridge.
    Keeps for up to 1 month.

Notes

  • For best results, use real white chocolate, not compound coating. Real white chocolate is naturally ivory, not pure white.
  • For the dark chocolate, use a good-quality brand such as Valrhona, Lindt, or Callebaut.
  • Do not use chocolate chips. They contain stabilizers and very little cocoa butter, which prevents smooth melting.

Nutrition

Serving: 1squareCalories: 519kcalCarbohydrates: 42gProtein: 11gFat: 36gSaturated Fat: 15gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 10mgSodium: 167mgPotassium: 414mgFiber: 3gSugar: 35gVitamin A: 23IUVitamin C: 0.2mgCalcium: 118mgIron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Close-up of the marbled dark and white chocolate swirl pattern on Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Ba

This bark may be simple, but it delivers every kind of satisfaction: the artistic joy of making those swirls, the sweet-salty flavour combination, and the crunchy-creamy texture that keeps you coming back for “just one more piece.” It’s the kind of holiday treat you’ll make once and immediately add to your yearly lineup — whether for gifting, snacking, or simply admiring how gorgeous it looks. If you try it, let me know… and if you really want to impress someone, slip a few pieces into a cookie box. They’ll think you spent all day.