A couple days ago I confessed via Instagram (@SavorySweetLife) I bought Trader Joes’s Candy Cane Joe Joe’s and had ate a dozen within hours. I don’t know what it is about those particular cookies, but it is nearly impossible to just eat one… or two, or three… Because I did not participate in Black Friday, eating those holiday chocolate sandwich cookies was my twisted way of ushering in the holiday season. Before anyone passes judgment on me for eating so many cookies, I plead PMS! My cookie binge happened two days ago and my menstrual cycle started today. Yes, I know. TMI. Sorry.
I have been thinking about my holiday cookie strategy this year, and I decided months ago that I am going to make a conscious effort to exercise regularly and only eat sweets worth the calories I work off on the treadmill the next day. Because I can’t seem to give up my sweet tooth, I also decided that I would eat smaller portions of desserts. This way I savor and appreciate them more. In case you’re wondering, those 12 Candy Cane Joe Joe’s were totally worth it.
Most nights I still eat a nice small piece of chocolate before bed. Some people drink a glass of wine before going to sleep, but I eat a piece of dark chocolate – sometimes with a spoonful of Natural Skippy Creamy Peanut Butter. It is a gazillion times better tasting than a Reeses Peanut Butter Cup. Seriously.
As I thought about what I wanted to make today to kick off my homemade holiday treats collection, I thought about my love of salty-sweet-chocolate anything and everything. And then it hit me. Why not make a small batch of dark chocolate holiday bark where I pack it with my favorite blend of trail mix? This particular trail mix is made up of roasted mixed nuts, yogurt chips, and dried cranberries and blueberries. The more I thought about this combination, the more excited I was to make it. It’s almost like one of those fruit and nut bars coated in chocolate you buy in the stores. I made the bark in under 5 minutes followed by some chilling time in the freezer. After I cut them into small squares, I felt accomplished on so many levels.
First of all, the bark is ridiculously easy to make. Secondly, they are addicting. Finally, because I used a good quality dark chocolate, this protein packed “treat” is relatively healthy. Best of all, I have a new favorite bed time treat. Just one square is all I need.
Good-bye Joe Joe’s. It was fun. Hello Holiday Bark. You and I are going to become really good friends.
For the full recipe with beautiful step-by-step photos, please click here to my PBS Parents post today.
This chocolate bark looks very delicious! Thanks for the link to the recipe.
Please give me one. I like too much this dark chocolate. I loss my control to see this. But it’s time to at night 3.00AM. Tomorrow i will collect one.
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Wow. That is really cool. Salty nuts and chocolate, I like this taste.
Memories of Switzerland…
I’m pretty much long on everything these days. I think you have to be if you’re an individual in this market.
This looks completely amazing. I can imagine myself making a massive amount with the intention of taking it piece by piece to work each day, and then eating it all in one night….!
I like all with nuts. My favorite food is nuts 🙂 I usually buy cakes with chocolate and nuts at my favorite bakery Felix – http://www.feliksa-konditoreja.com
This is a great chocolate recipe! I will try to do it because of am a fan of the chocolate.
This looks delicious, thank you for sharing such. I remember pilinuts as a comparison taste good in any delicatessen. Chocolate always makes us feel young right? This will give kids more ways happier.
This is a great alternative to the normal overly sweet bark for Christmas!
Thanks for this! For some reason I always pick complicated, multi-step treats to make that take me into the wee hours of night. These would be great packaged as gifts, and so simple to do. Yay!
wow. this looks amazing. personally not a traditional holiday cookie ‘type’ for us but I am going to have to have this made as it combines my favorite treats. better than a peanut butter cup? i have to try it now.
Everyone knows that chocolate (in moderation is good for you) and depriving yourself of this little bit of treat is very very bad for you it can lead to to all sorts of cranky moods so for the sake of your health and your family and co-workers do not ever ignore the chocolate crave but keep repeating IN MODERATION, IN MODERATION, IN MODERATION and remember if you eat it all today there will be no more to you get to the store to buy ingredients to make more which could lead to a crisis. 🙂
Hi Elle,
I just used the trail mix I had. I am assuming theu were roasted. Although I’m not sure if they were salted. I made another batch of these with pretzels and I love the little hints of salt.
I have those Joe Joes! And they’re addictive, I agree! They sat in our pantry for almost a week, but then we broke into them last night and they quickly disappeared…yikes.
Love the bark!
Looks amazing and decadent!
Are the nuts roasted? Are they salted?
I just bought three boxes of Jo-jos today. I plan on making picky palates stuffed choc chip cookies for a lunch surprise treat for my daughter with some, the rest are in the freezer for later.
Thats a lovely treat. So easy to make and so perfect to eat!. Dont you go crazy now….just one square at a time. How big were those squares?
These look smashing! I do something similar with dark, milk and white chocolate stripes and stir in crushed coffee beans. Quite addicting also. But then as far as chocolate is concerned I’m the perfect addict. Your post reminds me that I best get started on creating gifts! And not eating them!!
Hi Teresa,
I often have all sorts of chocolate hiding in my cupboards. But I like Ghiradelli dark chocolate chips. For the trail mix, I LOVE the Wild Roots “Coastal Berry Blend,” made with cashews, almonds, cranberries, yogurt chips, and wild blueberries. I buy it at Costco. Hope that helps.
Wondering what brand of chocolate and trail mix you used?
Thanks.
This looks amazing. I just might have to add it to my homemade gift list of things to make this year!
This sounds SO good! I love the combination of salty sweet and can totally see how satisfying and (basically good for you!) this would be! Will definitely be making it!