Easter Bark

This not being able to cook anything is the pits! My fingers are just itching to get stuck in to something . . . anything!! Just so long as it's cooking.



This Easter Bark has been making the rounds of the WWW over the past couple of weeks and so I thought I would make some today as I only needed a microwave to be able to do it, and it did look rather scrummy.



I didn't have any jelly beans, but I did have a few bags of those little candy covered Easter Eggs . . you know the ones I mean. They are coloured and speckled and kind of look like psychedelic robin's eggs.



And so I had in mind to make some of them. For some odd reason though when I stirred my eggs and pretzels into the melted chocolate, it kind hardened a bit before I could spread it out. So I thought to myself. I can handle this. I'll just pop it into a slow oven and let it remelt a bit and then spread it out. DUH! It never dawned on me that not only would the white chocolate melt, but . . . those little chocolate eggs would melt as well.



Meh! Nevermind . . . it gave it a nice marbled appearance that was not entirely unpleasing to the eye, so I would never call these an epic failure at all. In fact I think it made the bark that little bit scrummier.



Of course I added more eggs to the top after I spread it out . . . just to add some additional scrum, and of course a few more broken pretzels.



I'm a big fan of the salty/sweet thing. I know . . . as Dorcas Lane would say . . . it's my only weakness. ☺



*Easter Bark*
Makes about 1 pound
Printable Recipe

Sweetly scrummy. Easy and quick to make too! I like to add broken pretzels to mine. It's that sweet/salty thing!

12 ounces (weight) of white chocolate chips or candy melts (2 cups)
2 tsp white vegetable shortening
2 (100g) bags of small candy covered chocolate easter eggs such as the Cadbury's ones (about 1 heaped cupful)
a good handful of small pretzel hoops, broken (optional)

Have a baking sheet lined with parchment paper ready. Spray the paper lightly with non cooking spray. Set aside.

Place the white chocolate and vegetable shortening into a medium sized microwaveable bowl. Blitz on the 80% setting (medium high) for about 1 minute. Stir. If the chocolate still doesn't melt, blitz at 30 second intervals, stirring after each, until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Give one packet of the candy eggs a good bash with the bottom of a jar or a rolling pin. You want them broken up coarsely.

Stir the broken candy and pretzels (if using) into the melted chocolate. Pour onto the prepared baking sheet, spreading it out thinly. Sprinkle with the remaining pack of chocolate eggs. Allow to set until firm. Once firm, break into pieces. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Note: You don't have to use the chocolate eggs. You can also use jelly beans, or coloured smarties if you would rather.