With a photo like that, do I really need any words?!
I firmly believe that in order to start off the New Year properly, one must have chocolate. And lots of it.
Janet, wonderful customer of my husband’s company, brought these Chocolate & Toffee Barks into the office a few months ago.
I snuck a piece.
Crunchy. Chocolatey, Nutty. Toffeeeey.
And then snagged another.
And shhhhh….another.
Crap. I was addicted, and had to email Janet for her recipe, partly because I needed to feed my new addiction…but mostly because I had to replenish the stash that I snuck. Surprisingly, it was no more than a handful of ingredients that I already had on hand and the only skill needed was stirring, spreading, chilling and eating.
Dark Chocolate & Toffee Macadamia Bark
A great treat that you can customize to your liking. Substitute with milk chocolate chips, those fancy white chocolate chips, pecans, walnuts, pistachios (ooooh that would be pretty).note: the Dark Chocolate & Toffee Macadamia Bark takes 2 hours to chill.
Ingredients
- 1/2 box of graham crackers
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 pound butter (2 sticks)
- 3 cups dark chocolate chips (or your favorite chocolate bars, broked up in small pieces)
- 1 cup roughly chopped macadamia nuts (or other nut if you prefer)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line a lipped baking sheet with a layer of tin foil. Arrange a single layer of graham crackers in the pan without overlapping. In a small saucepan, melt butter and add the sugars. Whisk to dissolve. Let boil and simmer for 5 minutes on low. Very carefully pour mixture onto the graham crackers, working quickly with a spatula to even out the layer. Bake 10 minutes. Remove and evenly spread out the chocolate chips and leave it to melt for 5 minutes. Using spatula, spread the melted chocolate evenly. Top with chopped nuts. Let cool. Refrigerate for 2 hours. Break pieces.Share with the world.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Did you try this recipe? Please leave a star rating in the recipe card below and leave a review in the comment section! I always appreciate your feedback and I know other readers do, too!
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I made these two days ago and they were delish!! I love the texture of the graham cracker and toffee, once baked and cooled. I had to omit the nuts since I was giving to a sensitive crowd but it was still good! thanks for sharing this recipe 🙂
Just found your site this week and I spent the last three nights reading, drooling and bookmarking ! Today I made the NKB and the dark chocolate and toffee macadamia bark mmmmmmmmmmmm both so easy and so so delicious. Thanks so much for sharing such great recipes, stories and bits of your life.
denise
Weekly Baker – I’m sure you could! saltine crackers work great too.
cannot get graham crackers at my place.Can i replace them with digestive biscuits or marie biscuits? Which would be better?Thanks!
Hey mimi- you were doing just fine with the chocolate, when you take it out of the oven to let sit, it will finish melting and should be spreadable. Darn. I know this recipe works well, as many other bloggers have tried it with success – and it’s a well circulated recipe online.
Now I don’t know what happened to your butter…..
🙁
i just made the bark and i’m not sure what I did wrong — I tried to follow the instructions to a T. First off, no matter how long a simmered and whisked the butter + sugar mixture, the butter would not blend into the sugar. Instead, the sugar caramelized and sort of clumped together floating on the surface of the butter. Second, even on 375 for 10 minutes, the chocolate chips would not melt completely (I bought Nestle milk chocolate chips). They melted half way and when i tried to move the pan up on the oven rack, that didn’t do the trick either. Finally, I tried to microwave them so the chocolate would melt enough so I could smooth it out (it got dry and clumpy when I tried to spatula it down) but I ended up burning the chocolate and then I had to chuck the whole darn thing. 🙁
Another baking disaster. Any ideas?
Wow…if my screen would open up and hand me that right now I’d be a happy gal!
The bark looks good, but as someone with no access to graham crackers, I’m afraid that looking is all I can do :/
Haha I started my new year with chocolate too!
I can’t wait to make some of that bark, three of my favorite ingredients – dark chocolate, toffee, and macadamia nuts!
Also looking forward to your food photography secrets!
Thanks for the tips, as a starting out food blogger, I need all I can get. Only close friends look at it now it seems, but maybe soon others will find it.
http://themaninthekitchen.blogspot.com/
Waiting with bated breath……………….
woah jaden, i posted a recipe for spiced candied pistachios that sound similar to the brittle recipe except mine didnt turn into brittle but onece. Check it out on my site.
A
LOvely fOOd bLoG!!! glad I dropped by.. 🙂
Happy new year to you too… 🙂
I love the pic as much as the actual recipe. I saw Emeril do his version during the Holiday features on FN and it was tongue licking good. Thanks for sharing! happy ’08.
Ok Dahling…I take the challenge! I shall twist Paula’s recipe a bit….just have to think on it…I am also going to try my hand at Mochi this weekend.
Now, If I could just get my camera to take some good photos!! argh!
Ah Jaden, you make it all sound so easy! Not everyone has the writing skills, talent and character that you do, (although some certainly think they do). I look forward to hearing the rest of your tips though, I swear cold weather fogs my brain, my blogging had been sporadic at best lately, I need a jumpstart.
Jaden, I love the new design! And that dark chocolate toffee macadamia bark looks heavenly…care to share? 🙂
I’m drooling, I’m drooling! And not just for chocolate! More secrets, give me more secrets! 😉
Yay Happy New Year Jaden! Those are some great tips! And omg I had no idea a WWF cookbook existed. Freaking hilarious. 😀
I’m loving your Steamy Tips! And congratulations on the book deal! I hope you have lots of sweets in your book too! : D
Yum! I’ve had dark chocolate pistachio brittle but toffee and graham cracker with it is just brilliant! I think it would also be good with little pieces of candied ginger instead of nuts… a little bit like the Epicurious recipe for dark chocolate tart with gingersnap crust (sooooo good).
Thanks for the tips. I can’t wait to see what you have to offer as far as food photography. That category is seriously lacking on my blog.
Oh, and I think I have just enough chocolate left from the holidays to try those amazing looking bark.
*sob*
You had me at ‘dark chocolate’ but you just couldn’t leave it at that, could you?
*sobbing and reaching for the printout*
Those are drool worthy photos! Chocolate, macadamia nuts and toffee….mmm… Bookmarked!
Honey, I’ve been reading you for a while so I know you said something smart and or funny. Thing is, today I can’t see past that blasted chocolate…
Curse you!
🙂
Oh good lord! I just ate a one pound box of See’s and now this? I guess I’m off to the store for some graham crackers.
I can’t wait for the photo tips. I am a klutz with the camera. Too many options, I like the ‘Honey, could you set the camera options for me? I wanna take some shots of ….’ Now, if I could only get some darn natural lighting in my kitchen too.
If you can teach ME how to take photos like you, I will bear your next 7 children. I’ll give you a pedicure a week! I’ll CLEAN YOUR BATHTUB.
xoxo
Jaden, any chance in 2008 we can see a few recipes for single guys? You know, some dishes that apartment-dwelling bachelors can prepare for a more healthy diet and to impress girls? 🙂 Happy New Year!
What a lovely picture that is.. Happy new year!!!!
I so enjoy your humor and combustions of inspiration! Your blog is a great detour from the paces of life! Thanks so much!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
KJ
Oooooo, that bark looks to die for! I wish I could reach into my screen and try a piece.
Good luck with learning the secrets to photography for blogs. I gave up trying to post good pictures. That pic of the bark is great!
This looks yummy! And yes, everyone should start their new year with chocolate and lots of it.
You are a great Jedi Master. I will try and apply some of your tips and hopefully will move up from Padawan soon.
I am all about the food porn, can’t wait for your photo tips. I think it is so great of you to share the secrets to your sucess!
Lets try this again. Congrats on the book deal!
I am looking forward to photography tips..as you can tell I am no expert in that field 😉
One item that’s made this here food blog so popular, so accessible, so much fun to hit as often as possible, that you totally neglected to mention:
Personality. Yours.
When you end up in front of ABCs local cameras, the personality evident in the writing here comes through there as well. The fact that you’re so open with who you are, how you feel and what makes you happy … that’s really what makes Steamy Kitchen what it is.
Can’t duplicate that …
Thanks Jaden for your food blogging tip series…its so heart warming to know that there si someone to help…:)
i am looking forward to your photography tip series
Happy new Year to you
Ew, I am lubbin’ it! You’re awesome!
Happy New Year, Jaden!!!!
Yep i want to learn how to take yummy pics. is it all in the editing? or the camera? or the shot? ok ok, i know, you are gonna say combination of both. but i dont have photoshop and i am not good at editing beyond adding light, cropping and adding a frame to my pics. so..hmm.. HELP!!?
wow that looks good. REALLY good. thanks for the recipe and the tips!!
That’s mighty generous of you. 🙂 Timely too, as I’ve decided to take my food blog to the next level. Yay!
-A hungryforchocolate struggling blogger-
Oh HELL yeah!
Hey, cheers to you, Jaden! Thanks for the link.
I’m looking forward to more photo tips; your pics are always so droolworthy. A good photo is much more likely to draw me into a site, pro or amateur, and make me want to try a recipe, so I’m constantly trying to improve my own.
And speaking of droolworthy … that bark has me mopping my chin.
Hi Jaden,
Thats a superb twist…intuition and insights with chocolate…he he…but that photograph is enough to knock out all wisdom and intuition out of the window, and just simply want it.
As usual, your sense of humour makes reading your posts such fun.
Have a super 2008.
You, I cannot say enough good things about you. Really looking forward to this series. I’ve already learnt so much from reading this first post.
I am always in awe of the food porn here-I want to know how do you come up with the combos that you use – you always have such interesting combos.
I’m with Melinda here — don’t tone it down too much, because your sense of humor really makes for a fun read, on top of the good food advice and fine photography. I also love it when you pimp your kids out, ’cause they’re cute.
But blog on however you like, and I’ll await your steamy secrets with steamy bated breath (man, that sounds unappealing — bet you’re glad this is just cyberspace).
I, for one, can’t wait for all of the steamy secrets!! Especially the photo tips…
Thank goodness I don’t have a New Year’s resolution to eat better, because now I want to get in the kitchen and make some of this!
Geez, great….now I’m hungry AND inspired. If I could only figure out which to feed first. Like hunger doesn’t ALWAYS win out!!
BTW…will the toffee make my keyboard all sticky if I can’t stop eating while I blog???
I don’t know Jaden. One of the things I like about unprofessional food blogs is that it is not so ‘slick and flawless’. I don’t necessarily want a glossy mag blog.
I like the imperfect blog posts as much as I like seeing a fellow blogger succeed at something new.
But, I probably am alone with this opinion.
I love your humour, and would hate to see it cleaned up for a watershed audience when you go public cookbook writer.
Love to know cooking secrets though!
“Steamy Secrets”…it doesn’t get any better than that!! I’m hopelessly hooked on your every word:) Loved every bite of your 2007 blog so bring on those secrets…
drooling definitely! good tips too!
Ohhhh,yesss,more please!..chocolate is the next best thing to an orgasm and MORE available! I currently have a box each of Dove and my favorite..See’s, but I’ll make this bark this week. Great looking!
Mmm that bark looks good. And I think I just killed my browser by opening so many of the links in this post! I look forward to the secrets you share. 🙂
Oh wow, I just gained 4 and a half pounds looking at those amazing pictures of ooey gooey bark!
Great tips and recipe as usual!
Here’s hoping some of your photo tips can be achieved with my “point-and-shoot.” (Cause that is all that’s in the budget right now.) :0)
I can’t wait to hear more of your tips on food blogging. One question I’ve been wondering about – most of my favorite food blogs have a white background. The format I chose is black. Is there a reason that the top food blogs seem to go white? Is it cleaner/brighter/more appealing to look at? Should I go through all the work to change mine? (Augh!) Any other tips on the website formatting side of this??
Thanks!
Thanks so much Jaden!! I am sooooo looking forward to your phohtography guide:) finally someone listened to my request to give some pointers to newbies like us!!
and thanks for sharing the secrets to become a successful blogger; if it’s just making recipes with chocolate, I’ll soon be a superstar:D
Wish you and your family a Happy New Year!!
Hey, Rasa Malaysia is the GENEROUS one who inspired you, THANKS!
OK, for your food porn how-to’s, I expect more than P and the wheel. Whahahahahaha.
there goes my getting tummy back in shape. I so agree with you about new years and chocolate. I am having chocolate cup cake warmed with haagan daz’s coffee icecream. How bad am I?