Edible Holiday Gifts: Samoas Bark

This year let’s bypass truffles and caramel popcorn for gifting and move into something way more fun — candy bark. Well, at least we think so, and since we a have a handful of fuss-free, no-bake candy bark recipes to share, ee’ll be sharing one new recipe a week until the end of December.

Ringing in the Holiday Bark series is a Samoas Bark. We’ve taken that Girl Scout cookie favorite and simplified it to a something you can make in about 20 minutes. They are perfect when combined with other edible Christmas gifts.

We’re also pretty sure you may find this damn hard to part with once you take a bite. See that soft caramel center getting all cozy and gooey with some crushed shortbread? Well that’s just the beginning. Nudging its way into that is a layer of toasted coconuts with more gooey goodness in the form of a caramel and chocolate drizzle…yeah, go ahead, take your heavenly bite and then put it down, wrap it up and give it up because tis the season for giving.

Samoas Bark

Makes 1 8×8 pan | Preparation: Line pan with parchment or wax paper with a one-inch overhang on each side.

• 1 11.5oz dark chocolate ( or Ghirardelli semi-sweet)
• 1 cup coarsely crushed shortbread
• 1 cup sweetened coconut flakes, toasted
• ¾ cup caramel sauce (recipe follows)

Instructions:

1. Place coconut on a parchment lined bakesheet and bake at 350 degrees F for about 5 minutes or until coconut starts to brown. Remove from oven and set aside to cool. Make caramel sauce and set aside to cool. Portion out 2 tablespoons for topping.
2. Place chocolate in double boiler or a heat-proof bowl over simmering water and gently stir until chocolate is melted. Portion out 2 tablespoons for topping.
3. Pour half of chocolate into prepared pan, and, using an offset icing spatula smooth out chocolate until an even layer is achieved. Sprinkle coarsely crushed shortbread on top and gently press it into the chocolate. Transfer pan to the freezer for 5 minutes or until chocolate becomes slightly hardened.
4. Remove pan from freezer and pour caramel sauce on top, then, using an offset icing spatula spread caramel until an even layer is achieved. Transfer pan to the freezer for 5 minutes or until caramel becomes slightly hardened. Remove pan from freezer and pour other half of chocolate on the caramel layer. To finish, sprinkle coconut on top and drizzle remaining 2 tablespoons of chocolate and caramel on top of coconut. Transfer pan to refrigerator for about 5-10 or until bark is set.  Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

Caramel Filling

• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 4 tablespoon butter
• 7 tablespoon heavy cream

Instructions:

1. Add sugar and water into a saucepan over medium low heat. Stir until sugar has dissolved. Use a wet brush to remove any crystals that form on the side. Once sugar has dissolved increase heat to high. Now and then, using the handle give the pot a swirl to keep the mixture moving. Do not stir the mixture directly. The mixture will start to bubble after a minute. As the mixture darkens to a medium amber color, approximately 5-7 minutes, add the butter and heavy cream to saucepan. The mixture will bubble wildly. Whisk to combine (bubbles will subside upon cooling). Set aside to cool completely.

Notes:

• For the shortbread, we used Walker Shortbread .
• You may have more caramel then you need, so keep the leftover in a jar to use in or on another dessert.
• To keep a nice sharp edge while cutting the bark: (1) Use a really sharp knife and press the blade’s tip into the bark and then bring the remainder of the blade down into the bark. Depending on the kind of knife you use, most blades are shaped at an angle, so don’t bring the knife down in one push, the uneven pressure will crack the bark. (2) After the bark has set in the refrigerator bring it to room temperature before cutting. This will soften the chocolate and make for easy cutting. If the bark starts to split or start to chip off as you cut, the bark is still too cold to cut.