I’ve always been the kind of person that wanted to make brittle during the holidays, but I never did because it seemed too complicated. I didn’t have time to fiddle around with a candy thermometer and worry about the sugar cooking or not cooking. It’s too much. So here at The Chic we came up with an easy fool-proof way of making holiday bark! I suggest serving it with our slow cooker hot cocoa.
Lay down the graham crackers on a foil and parchment paper lined baking sheet. Make sure they’re in a single layer, breaking them if need be to fit them in the pan.
Make the caramel on the stove.
Carefully pour the caramel over the graham crackers. Spread with an offset spatula and bake in the oven for about 10 to 15 minutes or until the caramel has bubbled.
Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top immediately after the baking sheet comes out of the oven. The heat from the baking sheet will melt the chocolate.
After about 5 minutes, spread the chocolate with a metal offset spatula. It’ll melt into a single layer of chocolate. Sprinkle half with chopped almonds and the other half with crushed candy canes!
Place the bark in the fridge for about 15 to 20 minutes so that it hardens. Once firm, remove the bark from the pan and peel away the foil and parchment paper. Using your hands, break apart the bark into uneven pieces.
I like to make big batches of this stuff, storing them in cellophane bags tied with ribbon and keeping them in the freezer. They make great holiday gifts for any last minute company coming over during the holidays!
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- about 15 full graham cracker rectangles (enough to cover an 11x17 baking sheet)
- 2 cups semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup toasted almonds, chopped
- 1/2 cup crushed candy canes
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 11x17 inch baking sheet with aluminum foil and parchment paper. This will make clean-up a lot easier and make sure the bark doesn't stick to the pan. Cover the bottom of the baking sheet with graham crackers, covering the entire bottom in a single layer. You might need to break some to fit them in. Set aside.
- Heat a sauce pot over medium-high heat. Add the butter and allow to melt completely. Stir in the brown sugar, whisking until completely combined with the butter. Bring to a boil and continue cooking and whisking for about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the salt and vanilla extract.
- Carefully pour the caramel over the graham crackers in the baking sheet. Spread evenly with an offset spatula. Bake for about 10 to 15 minutes until the caramel has bubbled. Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle the chocolate chips on top in an even layer. Allow to sit for about 5 minutes. The chocolate will melt from the heat. Spread the chocolate into an even layer with an offset spatula. Top with crushed almonds on one side and crushed candy canes on the other.
- Place in the fridge for about 15 minutes to set. Break the bark with your hands and store in an airtight container or at room temperature. I like it cold so I place it in the fridge. Enjoy!
