Crunchy Spiderweb Bark
Spooky Scale: 2/5 Spooks
Every Halloween needs a little chocolate! This homemade bark is much better than most shop-bought sweets and looks incredibly effective for a party table.
Ingredients:
- 200g dark chocolate (70% cocoa is a good choice)
- 50g white chocolate
- A handful of mini pretzels
- Edible googly eyes and/or chocolate-covered raisins for spiders
The Healthier Twist:
Using dark chocolate with a high cocoa content means less sugar and more antioxidants compared to milk chocolate. The pretzels add a lovely salty crunch for less sugar than a typical candy topping.
Instructions:
Melt the Dark Chocolate: Line a baking tray with baking paper. Break the dark chocolate into a microwave-safe bowl and melt it in 30-second intervals, stirring until smooth.
Spread the Base: Pour the melted dark chocolate onto the lined tray and use a spatula to spread it out into an even, thin layer (about the thickness of a pound coin).
Decorate: While the chocolate is still wet, press the pretzels gently into it.
Create the Web: Melt the white chocolate in a separate bowl. Transfer it to a small piping bag or a food-safe plastic bag and snip off a tiny corner. Pipe concentric circles of white chocolate on top of the dark chocolate base.
Make it a Web: Working quickly, drag a cocktail stick or skewer from the centre of the circles out to the edge. Repeat this all the way around to create a web effect.
Add Spiders! Place a chocolate-covered raisin onto the web and add two googly eyes to make a spooky spider. Repeat to create a few crawly creatures.
Chill: Place the tray in the fridge for about 1 hour, or until the bark is completely solid.
Serve: Once set, break the bark into irregular shards and serve.
