Cover It In Chocolate

Today is National Cover It in Chocolate Day. Boy, that sure leaves us wide open for interpretation. Cover what? The world? Yeah, let’s turn the world into one giant Chocolate Covered Malt Ball.

Chocolate Malt Balls are just about my favorite candy, just behind Truffles. Every year during the Holiday Season Hubby and I take a little hour-long drive up into the Gold Country to visit Columbia State Park. Typically the streets are crowded with Holiday Shoppers in an old fashion setting. This year we drove up over the Thanksgiving Holiday. What a surprise! The park was nearly deserted! There was no long line to get into the Candy Kitchen (with the best hand-crafted candies around. Everything from Three-Foot Candy Canes to Ribbon Candy). Beginning Thanksgiving Weekend to Christmas Eve, the candy canes are made daily and you can watch the artists at work through the front window.

Hubby and I took advantage of the emptiness of the streets to drift back in time. You could hear the sounds of an old west town simply by closing your eyes.

Now of course, we needed to make our own Covered in Chocolate treat for today’s post. It really would not have been fair to buy one – right? So here we go . . . Remember to spend time with those you love, to open your hearts to the possibilities, and to cherish every moment as though it were your last. Savoring life makes it that much sweeter.

Graham Cracker Chocolate Peppermint Bark
12 oz Milk Chocolate Morsels
3 small Candy Canes
10 Graham Cracker Squares

Line a rimmed pan with parchment paper, set aside.

In a double boiler melt chocolate morsels. Keep over low heat to keep the chocolate fluid. Unwrap candy canes, place in a ziplock bag, seal shut. Crush the candy canes with a kitchen mallet or small crafting hammer and place in a small bowl. Break each graham cracker into 2 squares, set aside.

Working with one graham cracker square at a time brush the melted chocolate with a soft spatula over the cracker to coat both sides and all four corners. Place the chocolate cracker on the parchment paper. Sprinkle some of the peppermint pieces over the top. Repeat until all the crackers are dipped and decorated. (And don’t worry if it’s not perfect – that’s part of the charm).

Let Graham Cracker Bark cool to room temperature, then place in the refrigerator to fully set. Once the crackers are fully cooled they should peel away from the parchment paper easily without leaving any chocolate residue behind.

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The LORD is close to the brokenhearted;
and those who are crushed in spirit He saves.