Classy Baking: Yummy Chocolate Bark

Hey everyone! I hope all is well in your neck of the woods!  The past few days, I've been busy crafting and trying out some Holiday recipes! A few things I've worked on have been a driftwood table top Christmas tree, purses, aprons and a few recipes! Hopefully I'll get to post about my crafts soon, but here is a super yummy, super EASY recipe for Chocolate Bark. It's perfect for gifting over the Holidays!

*Just so y'all know, this post is picture heavy*

Julia's Yummy Chocolate Bark

1 bag Semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 bag White chocolate chips

Wax paper or foil (if using foil, you'll need butter)

1. Preheat your oven to 250 degrees F. Place foil over a jelly roll pan, making sure to fold sides over. If you are out of wax paper, and have to use foil like I did, take a stick of butter, and rub it over the foil, making sure to get a complete coating. If you're using wax paper, just lay it over your jelly roll pan and you are good to go!

2. Now sprinkle your chips in a checkerboard type pattern on the pan, making sure that they are in a single layer. Place them in the oven and bake for about 6 minutes.



I only had half a bag of each chocolate, that's why it's kind of small. You can also use half a bag or use a whole bag of each to make alot!

 3. When you take them out of the oven they should look shiny. Now take a spatula and, pressing lightly, swirl the chocolate around, making sure to flatten any chips. Once all the chocolate is swirled together, place your pan in the fridge for an hour (I'm not patient when it comes to this, so I stuck mine in the freezer for 10 or 15 minutes!)



4. When the chocolate is chilled enough, take it out of the fridge, remove the foil from the pan. Lay the foil chocolate side down on a cutting board. Peel the foil away from the chocolate, making sure no little foil pieces are left.  Now all you have to do is cut or break the chocolate into medium pieces.

5. Now it's ready to enjoy! Like I said, it makes a great Christmas treat. You can package it in a super cute box or bag to give as a gift! Or just put it on a serving platter like I did!

Do y'all have any yummy Holiday recipes you like to make? Let me know if you try this!

xo Julia



Amazing Cake Recipe!

Hey everyone! Hope y'all had a great Friday! Neil and I were thinking about going out to eat, but ended up staying home instead.  After a yummy dinner of Chicken Divan, we both wanted something for dessert. So after I took a quick inventory of the pantry and scanned my recipe book, I decided to make an Apple Cake.  It is his moms recipe that's really yummy and super easy to make, so I thought I would share it!

Apple Cake
2 cups white sugar                                  1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/4 cup vegetable oil                            1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs, beaten well                                 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
3 cups apples, peeled and chopped        2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 cups AP flour

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 9x13 baking dish.
2. In medium bowl, combine sugar, eggs, and oil. Stir in apples.
3. In separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Stir into apple mixture.
4. Stir in vanilla. Pour into pan. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown and tooth pick comes out pretty clean. Great served warm with vanilla ice cream.

*You can use Self Rising flour in place of the AP flour, just omit the baking soda.
*After I chopped the apples, I put them in a bowl and sprinkle a little sugar and cinnamon over them, stir them around and let them sit while I mix the other ingredients. It makes for a moister cake!

The cake might be a little gooey, but that's ok, it's just the juices from the apples. It's even better that way in my opinion! Hope y'all enjoy!

*EDIT* Here is the Chicken Divan Recipe! Credit to my MIL for this dish too!

Chicken Divan

1 head of broccoli, steamd and chopped                          1 C. shredded cheddar cheese1 can cream of chicken soup                                            4 boneless chicken breast, boiled and shredded
3/4 C. sour cream                                                           Optional: Rice or Egg Noodles

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350*
2. Combine steamed brocoli, soup, chicken and sour cream in casserole dish
3. Sprinkle with shredded cheese. Bake for about 10 minutes or until bubbly. We like ours served with rice or egg noodles!



P.S. Crystal over at Coffee at Nordstrom is having a super cute Monogrammed Bag giveaway! Head on over and enter for your chance to win!

xo Julia

Classy Baking: Christmas in August

Hey everyone!  So this week I have been thinking about what kind of Holiday treats I want to bake this year.  I know, I know, it is way to early to be thinking about that, but I always like to make homemade treats to give to family and friends, and I like to test all of them to make sure they are gift worthy, and since I have some free time this week, why not!  So I'm calling this post Christmas in August.  During the week, I'll add new recipes that I have tried.  Hope everyone enjoys!
*Edit* OK, so it ended up being a busy week :( But, even though I have not tried some of these recipes yet, I'll post a few I plan on making!

Drop Sugar Cookies

(not my picture, but they look just like this)

These are a family favorite and are always requested for any gathering we have, and they are super easy.

Ingredients:

2 3/4 C. Self-Rising flour ( you can use AP flour, just add 1 tsp. baking soda and 1/2 tsp. baking powder)

1 C. (2 sticks) Butter, softened

1 1/2 C. Granulated Sugar

1 Lg. Egg

1 tsp. Vanilla

Directions:

1. Pre heat oven to 375*

2. In large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth.  Beat in egg and vanilla.

3. (Skip if using self rising flour) If using AP flour, combine flour, baking soda and baking powder in medium bowl.

4. Gradually add flour (or flour mixture) to butter mixture, beat until smooth dough is formed

5. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls on to an ungreased cookie sheet.

6. Bake for 8-10 min or until golden brown.  Let rest on cookie sheet for 2 min. then transfer to cooling racks.  Let cool completely.  This makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Easy Crock Pot Candy

Our cousin made these last year and they were SO good and super easy to make! These little candies would be great to bring to a party or you can package them in pretty tins to give as gifts!

Ingredients:

2 C. Semi-Sweet chocolate chips

1 C. Milk Chocolate chips

2 lbs of white almond bark

(you can add any type of chocolate chips or even those candy bits if you like)

24 oz. Dry, roasted peanuts

Directions:

1. Pour peanuts in the bottom of the crock pot

2. Add bark and chocolate pieces

3. Cook on low heat for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until good and melted

4. Stir a couple times to combine it all

5. Spoon onto wax paper and let cool

Decadent Dipped Pretzels
The hubby and I are headed north over the holidays to visit my family, and these yummy treats travel well and make great gifts, stocking stuffers, or even a handy snack for on the road!

Ingredients:

2 cups chopped nuts (any kind you prefer)
1 bag soft caramel squares (unwrapped)
1 cup peanut butter-flavored pieces
1 cup milk chocolate pieces
2 Tbs. milk
25 pretzel rods

Directions:

1. In a food processor combine nuts, peanut butter pieces, and chocolate pieces. Cover and process until mixture is coarsely chopped (or coarsely chop nuts, peanut butter pieces, and chocolate pieces with a knife and combine). Transfer mixture to a large bowl; set aside.
2. In a microwave-safe bowl, add caramel squares and milk. Microwave for 2 minutes, stirring once. Let cool slightly.
3. Dip each pretzel into caramel mixture, covering about 2/3 of the pretzel. Let caramel drip off slightly.
4. Roll, or spoon some of the nut and chocolate mixture, pressing the mixture into the caramel softly with a spoon.
5. Let cool on wax paper.

xoxo Julia