Chocolate "Bark" Recipes? Also punch recipes?

[mla973]

I am looking for some recipe ideas for a surprise 50th birthday party that I'm throwing for my mother. The theme is anything gold (and black), and it's a dessert party. I am having a family friend make "roll cakes" (pumpkin roll, chocolate w/ vanilla ice cream and chocolate w/mint ice cream) as well as a traditional cake. (It is actually a shaped cake with a decorated bra that will say Happy 50th Birthday Barb - We're all here to show our support!)

Anyway, for other small "finger food" desserts, I was thinking of making chocolate bark. I just wondered if anyone had any recipes or flavor suggestions. (I am calling it bark, maybe there's another name. I'm thinking of melting chocolate chips, or other type of bar chocolate, and mixing some kind of flavoring, chips, etc. then pouring onto wax paper and breaking apart once hardened.)

Also, if you have an easy, non-alcoholic punch recipe, I would love some ideas on that too.

I have never thrown a party on my own, and my mother is very hard to please. Hopefully, it remains a surprise until the end.

TIA for any help!!!

 

[Cruise04]

I can't help you on the "bark" ideas but I thought I did see somewhere on here that someone suggested the Wilton melting chocolate that is used for candy making and adding some flavor to them (they come in different colors).

But I can give you a good punch recipe - well we like it anyway:

4-6 quarts of flavored drink mix (I use Crystal Light Raspberry - and I've used the WalMart brand Raspberry too and it's just as good if not better)
to
1-2 liter bottle of lemon lime soda or ginger ale
to
a large can of pineapple juice

Mix together in a punch bowl (start with about half of everything as it will depend on the size of your bowl). Add sherbert instead of ice - I use Raspberry sherbert to go along with the Raspberry drink mix. You can use orange sherbert to an orange drink mix and lemon or lime to a lemon or lime drink mix. Stir to mix in the sherbert as it melts.

It's frothy and smooth and just yummy! My mom found this recipe for my 8th grade graduation over 20 years ago and it has stuck with my family.

 

[wenbel]

I love planning parties and cooking for them!

Easy Punch:

1/2 gallon of sherbet
ginger ale or 7-up to fill punch bowl

Put the sherbet in the punch bowl and fill it up with the soda.

We love it and it is so easy. When people ask for the recipe I hate to tell them because it is soooo easy!
Bark
I have used the Wilton candy melts and mix in almonds. I think you need to add a couple of teaspoons of veggie oil. Check out this site. She may have the recipe and you can order from here as well.
www.cakesbyjan.com

 

[wenbel]

By the way if you have girls the lip gloss kit that she offers is a great birthday party activity.

 

[piratesmate]

Bark - My favorite is to crush candy canes (the peppermint ones, not the new fruit ones) & mix in with the melted chocolate. I don't put any flavoring in when I make "bark". I also like nuts - single or combined - such as almonds, cashews & peanuts. If you put in all 3 (very coarsely chopped) and add raisins, it tastes like a "Chunky"! (Do they still make them? If not, it's an old candy bar.)

To follow the whole black & gold theme, you could also have peanut brittle. It's much easier to just buy it, but here's a recipe just in case:
Peanut Brittle
2 c sugar
1 c white syrup
1/2 c water
3 c raw peanuts
1 tsp butter, melted
1 tsp soda
1 tsp vanilla
Combine sugar, syrup & water. Cook to the soft-ball stage (236 degrees). Add peanuts & & butter; continue cooking until syrup is golden brown (290). Stir during last few minutes of cooking.
Remove from heat & add soda & vanilla. Stir until mixture thickens. Pour into buttered tins & break into pieces when cold.

If using roasted peanuts, add to syrup before removing from heat.

This would still be somewhat "golden" & is much easier to make:
Nuts 4 Nuts® Candied Nuts
from Top Secret Recipes

2 Tbl water
¼ c sugar
1¼ c nuts (almonds, peanuts, or cashews)

Bring water and sugar to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the nuts and stir often until water evaporates. Continue stirring until the sugar begins to harden on the nuts. When the sugar on the nuts begins to turn light brown, pour them onto a plate to cool. Be careful not to cook the nuts too long or the sugar will burn. Makes 1¼ cups.



How about Chex Mix? You could skip the Wheat Chex. The Corn Chex is particularly "golden" colored. You could just use double the corn & skip the wheat, or substitute Crispix for the wheat.

 

[piratesmate]

Lemon Sherbet Punch
from Liberty Tree Tavern, Magic Kingdom
Yield: 1 qt


4 c Lemon sherbet
1 c Frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
3 c Warm water
Ice cubes
Lemon slices

Place sherbet in mixing bowl. Using mixer on low, add lemonade concentrate and water. Mix well, 5 mins. Refrigerate. Serve in tall glasses with ice and garnish with lemon slices.

 

[gfolchick]

Bark recipes:
melt 1 bag of chocolate wafers (either vanilla or chocolate). Add 3 cups small pretzels and 1/2 cup m&ms. Mix together. Line a sheet pan with waxed paper and spread mixture out. Let cool (refrigerate if necessary) and break into small pieces. Warning, it's very addictive.

Another recipe is from Kraft for Peppermint Bark:
2 T whipping cream
1 pkg (6 sq) Baker's white baking chocolate
1 pkg (8 sq) Baker's semi sweet baking chocolate, divided
1/4 cup crushed peppermints

Microwave whipping cream and white chocolate for 2 min on med power. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Set aside

Microwave 7 squares of semi sweet chocolate for 3 min, stir until completely melted. Line bottom of 8" square pan with waxed paper. Spread the melted semi sweet chocolate in a thin layer on wax paper, freeze 5 min.

Spread white chocolate mixture evenly over semi sweet chocolate layer. Sprinkly with crushed peppermints. Melt remaining square of semi sweet chocolate; drizzle over chocolate layers in pan.

Refrigerate 3 hours or until firm. Let stand 15 min at room temperature before cutting

Punch recipe:
1/2 gallon carton orange juice
1 carton raspberry sherbert
Sprite or 7 up
frozen strawberries or raspberries

Pour OJ into punch bowl. Unmold sherbert and add to bowl. Slowly pour Sprite over sherbert (it will get foamy). Add strawberries for decoration.

Same idea, but you can use pink lemonade in place of orange juice for a pink punch.