CLASSY JINGLE BELL BARK!! CHRISTMAS IN JULY!!

It isn't Christmas without candy bark! So it would make sense that it isn't Christmas in July without it either! Today we are sharing a delicious chocolate bark that is so classy, I almost called it "Ron Burgundy Bark". If you know, then you know. If you don't go watch the movie Anchorman. All kidding aside, this bark is a quick and easy make for the holidays or anytime. This is a big hit among my friends and family and everyone looks forward to chocolate bark during the holidays in their gift packages. This one is made with white chocolate, salted pistachios, dried cherries and for a twist, some vanilla wafers, just for fun! I know that this will put a jingle in your holiday or just in your July!

Like all chocolate bark mine starts off with chocolate. However, not just any chocolate. You could use the "almond bark" that you can find in the baking section of the store, however that isn't really chocolate and it's kind of gross. Let's be honest. If you are going to go to the trouble to make something delicious to share with the people you care about, lets use good ingredients! I use the Ghiradelli white chocolate baking bar. You, of course could use whatever type of chocolate is your preference, but I think the sweet, mellowness of the white chocolate lends itself to the salty of the pistachios as well as the tangy chewiness of the dried cherries. I used 4 bars and laid them out on a baking sheet that was lined with non stick foil. You can use parchment or just a spray of vegetable oil. However using the foil or parchment will help you get the bark off the pan easier.

I placed the chocolate bars in a low oven set at 200 degrees for less than five minutes. Just until it was soft enough to spread Seriously, this only takes a couple of minutes and saves a bunch of time and eliminates a double boiler and also eliminates the chance of burning the delicate chocolate in the microwave. Since this chocolate is already tempered, there is no need to add any oil.

When the chocolate has melted, remove it from the oven and using a rubber spatula, spread thin but not too thin. Then go to town topping it with the pistachios, cherries and cookies. You can scatter them haphazardly or take a bit more time building your masterpiece. I like to make sure that every bite has the perfect combination of flavors. This is a great way to satisfy your inner artist as well!

Once the toppings are all in place, I like to put a sheet of parchment over the entire thing and give everything a little press. This ensures that all the toppings are well seated in the chocolate and won't come loose when you break things apart. Now it goes into the fridge for a minimum of 30 minutes or until it is full hardened and you are able to pick up the entire slab in one piece to break it up.

When the bark is all set you can break or cut it into pieces. I much prefer to break this into shards that are not too big and not too small. This is a sweet treat and the recipient will not need but one or two small pieces to feel satisfied. It is a rich little delight that will last a while and be appreciated while it is being enjoyed. So keep that in mind when breaking it up for gift giving purposes.

I packaged my bark in a parchment lined holiday tin, but you could simply pack this in small cello bags tied with a ribbon to gift away as part of your holiday goody boxes. We love to give an assortment of items when we give out holiday treats so this would be included in a cello bag then put into a hand made box that is made from festive paper. No matter how you give this it is going to be loved by the recipient!

I hope you give this classy jingle bell bark a try sometime soon and I hope you keep it in mind for the upcoming holiday season!

Keep it Classy San Diego!

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