Black Forest Bark for Christmaspalooza

Hi folks. I have another Christmas baking item for you. I have to make this one snappy though as I have tons of paperwork I need to catch up on today. Also going to head in with mini-me for her final "final" so I can swing by and see my aunt. Have not seen her for quite some time. Hoping the visit goes well. So busy day planned so I must get crackalacking.

Took Malia aka Demon Spawn of Satan in to get her staples removed this morning. She was spayed last week. Oddly we all forgot she was supposed to be microchipped as well so we had that done this morning. This poor little puppy has been through the ringer the last couple of weeks. Luckily she is good natured and a bundle of energy so she just bounces back. She did however pee all over the table when the vet assistant gave her attention. She gets way too excited. We rarely have visitors these days so she is not socialized enough. I need to get her out and about after Christmas, buckle down on her training. After last weekend's "I want to eat mini-me's bf" incident, I really think we need puppy boot camp. Our last dog was so well behaved. I just need to devote my full attention to her for awhile and get her on track to puppy stardom. 

So still no tree up. I always forget the kids have finals right before. So hopefully tomorrow we can squeeze it in. If not I'm going Monday with or without the family. I must say though it's hard to get into the Christmas spirit this year. Life is rough, puts a different spin on the holidays. I am sure once we get the tree I'll snap into full on Buddy the Elf mode. Just need to light a fire under myself.

Okay so enough babbling and on to what you came here for. I found this great recipe on Baker's Royale. Remember the whole "I thought I discovered Turtle Bark" episode. When I was searching all the other people who made Turtle Bark before me, I happened across this super cool recipe for Black Forest Bark on her site. Me being the Black Forest monger that I am I just had to try it. I tweaked a bit. Not sure how I feel about the results. Am thinking I should have stuck with the original on this one. She used dried cherries, I used candied cherries. Not sure but I think the moisture in them caused some issues with blooming. Still tastes awesome but Baker's Royale's version is much prettier than mine. This is what happens when your teenage daughter has her bf over for the first time and you are distracted by that and the fact that your puppy is trying to eat him, and is suddenly his best friend and wants to kill mini-me every time she laughs or smiles at him. Poor Kelvin. Kid may never come back. 

Black Forest Bark:

Adapted from: Baker's Royale

Ingredients:

6 oz semi sweet chocolate

6 oz white chocolate

1 to 3 drops red food colouring

3/4 cup candied cheries, cut up

Directions:

Place two pots on your stove part way filled with water. Bring them to a boil then turn them to simmer or just slightly above a simmer.

Now place heat proof bowls over top of the water but NOT touching it. (You can use a double boiler if you have one, I just don't happen to have one)

Place your semi sweet chocolate in one bowl.

Place your white chocolate in the other bowl.

Now melt them, stirring with DIFFERENT spoons as they melt.

Cut up your cherries into chunky pieces. Set aside.

Once the white chocolate is melted add the red food colouring to make it pink.

Now line an 8 x 8 pan with parchment and pour the semi sweet into the pan.

Now haphazardly drop the pink in chunks here and there randomly.

Now take a knife or toothpick and swirl it around a bit.

Now toss your cherries on top.

Pop this in the fridge to set for a couple of hours.

Break apart by hand or cut with a knife. I have to admit I like the by hand method. I don't like clean edges on bark. I like it to look like you just took a long piece of it and whacked it.

Serve as gifts or eat it all up yourself. Enjoy! 

Pretty? Not so much. Delicious? Hellz to the Yah!

My other Christmas baking posts for your viewing pleasure:

Chocolate and Peanut Butter M&M Cookies

Checkerboard Cookies

Kim's Nutella Cookies

Pretty Pepperminty Ice Cream

Turtle Bark

This post is part of Christmaspalooza 2011!

Toodles and smoochies.xx