Chocolate Bark Candy Recipes - Chocolate Chocolate and More! (2024)

FAQs

What brand chocolate is best for bark? ›

And while candy melts are great for cake pops, in a recipe like this, you'll really taste the difference between actual chocolate and candy melts. I recommend Ghirardelli, Guittard, or Baker's brand bars of chocolate when making bark.

It will become lumpy and unmanageable. If you must add a liquid (such as heavy cream or milk), heat up the liquid first, then add the chocolate. The chocolate will melt more evenly and distribute into the liquid.

Chocolate bark should be stored cool but not too cold, remember chocolate can sweat and become aqueous in the cold. Better a dark, cool, cellar type room. Airtight container, away from any strong smells and this should do the trick.

To keep your chocolate bark from melting, a proper tempering process is necessary. Tempering is a process where the chocolate is brought to certain temperatures, which essentially optimizes the form of the cocoa butter fat crystals and keeps it stable.

That's because your chocolate wasn't tempered. Tempered chocolate sets at room temperature and has a snap just like a chocolate bar you buy from the store.

It's always best to use chocolate products rich in cocoa butter. We prefer to use craft melting chocolate like our TCHO chocolate discs for baking. The good news is, you can always use dark chocolate or milk chocolate discs for your candy molds. If you're a fan, you can also use white chocolate.

The best chocolate for melting and hardening is typically couverture chocolate, which contains a higher percentage of cocoa butter. It melts smoothly and can be tempered to create a shiny, snappy finish when it hardens. Popular types include dark, milk, and white couverture chocolate.

Adding butter or oil increases the fat content of the melted chocolate, making it smoother and easier to work with. Perfectly melted chocolate will be smooth, silky, and have a shiny finish, says KitchenSeer. If your chocolate is too thick or clumpy, you may be able to save it with some room temperature butter.

Chocolate bark is a simple application for a first-time chocolate project that is a great way to get your feet wet. The bark doesn't involve any molds or dipping techniques—and it's delicious! Whenever working with chocolate it must be tempered; we're about to simplify the science and make it easy for you.

Why did my chocolate bark turn white? ›

Chocolate turning white is due to processes known as 'fat bloom' and 'sugar bloom'. These happen when the cocoa butter or sugar in the chocolate reacts to changes in temperature or exposure to moisture, leading to a white or greyish coating on the surface.

You don't add ingredients to chocolate to make it harden, you temper it by heating it to a specific temperature, cooling it to another temperature, then heating it again. This causes the chocolate to crystalize in a way that leaves it hard and shiny. The temperatures are different for different kinds of chocolate.

To thin melted chocolate, add a small amount of neutral oil, like vegetable oil or cocoa butter, stirring gently until it reaches the desired consistency. Melt slowly to avoid overheating, and keep water out to prevent the chocolate from seizing.

White chocolate generally solidifies more rapidly than milk or dark chocolate, setting in around 10-20 minutes. On the other hand, milk and dark chocolate usually take 20-30 minutes to harden.

Unsweetened chocolate is 100% cacao chocolate, with no added sugar. Folks like to use unsweetened chocolate in baking because it can give baked goods a very intense chocolatey flavor.

Most chocolatiers and candymakers recommend tempering chocolate for bark because it gives chocolate a beautifully glossy finish and a satisfying, clean snap when broken. It also sets up more quickly and keeps longer at room temperature.

Tempered chocolate is wonderful to use when making homemade candy, such as truffles or peanut butter cups, or peppermint bark, because it maintains a nice smooth, shiny, and hard texture even at room temperature.

Choosing your chocolate

Chocolate melts faster the higher the percentage of cocoa butter and fat, so dark chocolate melts the fastest. Once melted, it's glossy and has a good viscosity. Good-quality dark chocolate with no less than 70 per cent cocoa solids will leave you with a darker, richer flavour.