I wanted to make something special for the children of our Ministering brothers (father and son, church thing) for Christmas. They are always so good at visiting us.
When Todd had his cancer and was going through treatments, the children came over to us one night and had made him cards and had some cookies they had baked for him along with some cards they had made.
They are a lovely family. Their dad was coming over yesterday to pick up our tropical fish which we have re-homed with them and so I thought I would make them some goodies to enjoy over the holidays as well.
I had seen melted snowmen bark all over the internet and so decided to make some for them. It was really simple to make. You just melt white chocolate and spread it out on a prepped pan . . .
I used Dr Oetker white chocolate for bakers, broken into squares. (Melted in the microwave according to the package directions.)
Add halved mini peanut butter cups for the hats . . . some googly eyes . . .
Black candy balls for the buttons. (I picked out the dark balls from the Dr Oetker Midnight magic cake decs)
Yellow and orange candy strands (Again I picked them out of a bottle of mixed candy strands from Dr Oetker) for the noses . . .
And broken pretzel sticks for the arms. In between I scattered white snowflake candies, then popped the tray in the fridge to chill.
For the Rudolf bark, I used Dr Oetker milk chocolate for bakers, broken up . . . which I melted in the microwave and spread out on the prepped pan.
Make sure you don't overheat your chocolate or it will seize. I do it for one minute, then let it sit, stir, and if it needs more then reheat at 10 second intervals. Just what the package says.
For the antlers I used white chocolate coated smallish pretzels. You can easily cut them in half without breaking them by using a sharp knife and carefully sawing down through the centres.
I put the googly candy eyes on first . . . and then I placed the antlers above, trying to place them with the cut edges outwards, rounded edges in the middle/bottom . . .
Don't look too closely as I messed up a few by putting them on backwards, lol
I used red smarties for the noses. I actually bought tube of "Rudolf noses" to use for this. They worked perfectly.
You could use any kind of red candy that you can find so long as it is size appropriate.
Once again, in between I scattered some candy snowflakes, which really added a lovely festive touch and a bit of contrast with the darkness of the chocolate.
Altogether they turned out really nicely. I think they did at any rate, and the children's father was oohing over them when he came to pick up the fish. I really think that the children will love them. I can't imagine any child not enjoying something like this!
Yield: 2 different kindsAuthor: Marie Rayner
Chocolate Christmas Bark
Children love this. Its fun to make together. There are two kinds. Melting snowman using white chocolate and Rudolf using milk chocolate. This also makes fabulous gifts!
ingredients:
For the Melting Snowmen:
300g white chocolate, created for bakers (26% cocoa butter) (10 1/2 ounces)
6 mini Reese's peanut butter cups, carefully cut in half
24 candy eyes
Orange or yellow sugar strands
(you will need to pick them out of a container of mixed strands)
36 small dark navy candy ball decs
Pretzel sticks
small candy snowflake decs
For the Rudolf:
300g milk chocolate for bakers ( with 35% cocoa solids) (10 1/2 ounces)
24 candy eyes
12 white chocolate covered pretzels, carefully cut in half through the middle
12 red smarties
small candy snowflake decs
instructions:
Line two separate baking trays with baking paper or
waxed paper or aluminium foil. I like to make one batch first and then
the other batch after.
Melt the white chocolate
for the snowmen in the microwave according to the package directions,
in a microwave appropriate bowl. Pour onto one of the baking sheets and
spread out to a 1/3 inch thick layer. Place all of the snowman parts
onto the chocolate spreading them out and building one at a time. The
half peanut butter cup is the hat, then the candy eyes, a sugar strand
nose, navy candy ball buttons and broken pretzel sticks for the arms.
Repeat until you have used them all up. Scatter snowflakes in between.
Place in the refrigerator to chill while you make the other one.
Melt
the milk chocolate for the reindeer in the microwave according to the
package directions, in a microwave appropriate bowl. Pour onto the
other prepared baking sheet and spread out to a 1/3 inch thick layer.
Build your Rudolf's as follows and one at a time. Put the googly eyes
on, followed by a red smarties nose just below. Place two pretzel halves
(rounded side in and loop towards the eyes) on top to resemble
antlers. Repeat until you have used all the ingredients. Scatter small
snowflakes in between. Place in the refrigerator to chill.
Carefully
break into pieces, using a knife to guide the breaks. If you are
giving as gifts, leave whole and present on a board wrapped in
cellophane and tied with a ribbon.
If you are keeping this you can break it up. I find it best to mark lines with a sharp knife first and then break it on the lines. If you are gifting this, pop it onto a small cutting board, wrap in cellophane and tie up with some coloured ribbons. Very festive!
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I adore these! What a fun gift for any child. I'll have to wait until next year because they don't sell any of those cake decorating goodies here, so I'd have to order them from the UK. But it will be bookmarked and I'll be ready to make them for the grandchildren next year. They're fabulous, Marie!
THey are wonderful for children. They also like helping you to make it Marie! I am happy that you want to make this. Living overseas is an exercise in adaptation at the best of times! xo
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This is a book I wrote several years ago, published by Passageway Press. I am incredibly proud of this accomplishment. It is now out of print, but you can still find used copies for sale here and there. If you have a copy of it, hang onto it because they are very rare.
Welcome, I'm Marie
Canadian lover of all things British. I cook every day and like to share it with you!
A third of my life was spent living in the UK. I learned to love the people, the country and the cuisine. I have always been an Anglophile. You will find plenty of traditional British recipes here in my English Kitchen. There are lots of North American recipes also, but then again, I am a Canadian by birth. I like to think of my page as a happy mix of both. If you are looking for something and cannot find it, don't be afraid to ask! I am always happy to help and point you in the right direction, even if it exists on another page, or in one of my many cookbooks.
I adore these! What a fun gift for any child. I'll have to wait until next year because they don't sell any of those cake decorating goodies here, so I'd have to order them from the UK. But it will be bookmarked and I'll be ready to make them for the grandchildren next year. They're fabulous, Marie!
ReplyDeleteTHey are wonderful for children. They also like helping you to make it Marie! I am happy that you want to make this. Living overseas is an exercise in adaptation at the best of times! xo
DeleteSuper duper Christmas cute Marie!♥
ReplyDeleteThanks Monique! xo
DeleteThat's incredibly cute, Marie! And fun, too!
ReplyDeleteThanks Jeanie! Merry Christmas! xo
DeleteThe Melted Snowman bark would be ideal for our hot Australian Christmas, if we had snow it would certainly melt, Grand kids will love this.
ReplyDeleteSo pleased it will come in useful Carol! Happy Christmas! xo
Delete