Holiday Candy: Peppermint Crunch Bark

Photo: King Arthur Flour

From Denny:  Looking for a holiday food gift idea?  Any kind of chocolate bark is fun and easy to make - and definitely much appreciated by your friends and family!  Have you noticed how the grocery stores have started stocking all the ingredients for holiday baking - and many at good prices?

Making holiday food gifts gives you an opportunity to grow your baking and cooking skills.  It's also more fun than chasing around the shopping malls - or online - looking for the best last minute holiday deals to save a few dollars.  The higher stress level is just not worth that dog and pony show.

This holiday recipe features both white and dark chocolate layers, a bright red and very festive looking candy cane crunch along with that refreshing peppermint flavor. You might be tempted not to give this candy away as gifts! :)

If you don't enjoy the peppermint flavor or candy canes try your favorite candy flavor in place of the peppermint candy canes.  You could use less of the candy canes and mix it with another candy you enjoy that would complement the peppermint flavor.  Or you could use a favorite nut.  In our house there are always options for experimentation to hit on a new twist of a favorite recipe!  Take a little time and experiment on part of the bark as you lay it out to see what your house enjoys the best.

Ingredients available in ounces and grams too if you live outside of the U. S. Of course, the King Arthur Flour site sells several of the products in the ingredient list - links included if you cannot find another version of the products in your area and you would like to purchase online. 

(FYI - I don't have any affiliation with King Arthur Flour - just enjoy many of their recipes. And, yes, the ads are from my Denny Lyon Gifts store at Cafe Press.  Be sure to check both the Denny Lyon Gifts store and the front page of Cafe Press for flash sales and discounts.  Proceeds go to the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank and St. Jude's Hospital to benefit military families, military veterans and civilians too.)

Santa Music Necklace Circle Charm

Santa loves the music of the season!  Visit Denny Lyon Gifts  @ CafePress.com  -  see what's new!  

Happy Holidays Poinsettia Greeting Cards (10 pack)

Christmas poinsettia vintage design updated in soft winter pales with Happy Holidays greeting suitable for the holiday season!  Visit Denny Lyon Gifts  @ CafePress.com  -  see what's new!  

Romancing The Chocolate: Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Photo: King Arthur Flour

Romancing The Chocolate: Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread: From Denny:  Summer time and the zucchini are multiplying like rabbits in our gardens!  Zucchini bread is always welcome just plain but how about "gilding the lily"?  Add some cocoa, chocolate chips and espresso powder to put it over the top.

Quick breads like this recipe are always welcome for the holidays or when you want something special - but not complicated or too demanding of your time and effort.  Like most quick breads this one is an easy recipe to make.  While this delicious bread bakes just sit down, relax and tour through your favorite collected old cookbooks or breeze through some interesting online recipe databases.  Works for me!

Celebrate Chocolate King Duvet

Celebrate Chocolate every day as a holiday!

Design available in 3 color palettes:  additional bedding sizes, t-shirts, blankets, 

pillows, jewelry, stuffed animals, mugs, ornaments, 3 sizes of laptop sleeves, shower curtains

From Louisiana artist Denny Lyon

Visit Denny Lyon Gifts  @ CafePress.com  -  see what's new! 

Dennys Food and Recipes: Summer Recipe: Cool Fake Watermelon Cheesecake

Photo: Family Features 

Dennys Food and Recipes: Summer Recipe: Cool Fake Watermelon Cheesecake: From Denny:  This is such a fun colorful cheesecake to make that is sure to impress for any special holiday or occasion!  While it looks like watermelon it's really a strawberry flavored cheesecake supported by a delicious coconut and pistachio crumble crust that imitates the watermelon rind.  How clever is that?  And you know it sure tastes better than the rind. :) To imitate the look of the watermelon seeds you garnish the cheesecake with mini chocolate chips.

The beauty of this cheesecake is that you don't have to bake it.  Everything is done on the stove top and then chilled.  Well, I'm sold; ready to start cooking?  ...

Magic Coffee Fonts Woven Throw Pillow

Magic Coffee Fonts celebrate our morning cup of joe! This fun design available on many more products from bedding to t-shirts to mugs and more!  From Louisiana artist Denny Lyon

Visit Denny Lyon Gifts  @ CafePress.com  -  see what's new!  

8 Easter Posts To Enjoy: Food, Funny, Poems, Photos

Dennys: News Politics Comedy Science Arts & Food: 8 Easter Posts To Enjoy: Food, Funny, Poems, Photos: From Denny:  Check out the fun facts posted about Easter on my blogs from traditions, origins of the holiday, a photography post of awesome sunrises by many good photographers, a funny Easter Bunny Rap music video, recipes and Spring renewal Easter poems.

May you enjoy your renewal this Spring!

Funny Easter Bunny Abby the Bunny

* * *  Support Warriors Pearl Foundation - contributing to fund efforts to help homeless female military veterans come home.  Visit Denny Lyon Gifts  @ CafePress.com  -  see what's new!  

Romancing The Chocolate: Prize Winner: Peppermint-Hot Chocolate Cake, Fudge Filling, Marshmallow Frosting

Romancing The Chocolate: Prize Winner: Peppermint-Hot Chocolate Cake, Fudge Filling, Marshmallow Frosting: From Denny:  Love hot chocolate?  Thought of making it into a cake?  Britainy Shaw, 25, of Louisiana (before that she lived in Texas and before that in Montana) decided it was a brilliant idea.  She heard of Southern Living magazine's contest and decided to enter just for fun, taking third for this cake recipe.

She said her thoughts immediately went to her favorite Christmas flavors.  “For some reason, all I could think of were drinks.  I love hot chocolate with peppermint schnapps in it.”

Her cake consists of three layers of buttermilk chocolate cake that is filled with a fudge-mint filling, frosted with peppermint-tinged marshmallow crème frosting.

Fat Elf Christmas Square Cocktail Plate

Delivery: 1 fat elf stuffed full of good cheer! Awww, come on; you know you are part of the I Believe Club.  Take home a fat elf today! 

Romancing The Chocolate: Christmas Gift Recipe: Peanut Butter Fudge

Romancing The Chocolate: Christmas Gift Recipe: Peanut Butter Fudge: From Denny:  This is an easy unique way to cook fudge - in a slow cooker!  What fun, a super simple fast recipe!  It has our name all over it and think how you can make up many batches of this to give as hostess gifts at Christmas parties or other seasonal gift giving.

It's also a kid friendly recipe it's so easy to do.  You cook the fudge on High in the slow cooker for about 20 minutes total and then pour it out into a pan lined with waxed paper.  Place in fridge to cool and harden.

Santa Rejoices Music Round Ornament

Santa loves the music of the season!

Dennys: News Politics Comedy Science Arts & Food: 8 Easter Posts To Enjoy: Food, Funny, Poems, Photos

Isenheim Altarpiece: The Resurrection by Matthias Grünewald, completed 1515 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Dennys: News Politics Comedy Science Arts & Food: 8 Easter Posts To Enjoy: Food, Funny, Poems, Photos: From Denny:  When you blog for a few years you start amassing some interesting posts on a theme.

Check out the fun facts posted about Easter on my blogs from traditions, origins of the holiday, a photography post of awesome sunrises by many good photographers, a funny Easter Bunny Rap music video, recipes and Spring renewal Easter poems.

May you enjoy your renewal this Spring!

Romancing The Chocolate: Celebrate Valentines Day With Fiery Chocolate Fondue

Romancing The Chocolate: Celebrate Valentines Day With Fiery Chocolate Fondue: From Denny: Chocolate fondue is the favorite of Valentine's Day menus. This recipe is extra special with the addition of some Tabasco hot sauce to kick it up a notch - the romance, that is. :)

It's also a ridiculously easy recipe, with only a few ingredients, sure to be a crowd pleaser at a party - or just for two.

Related articles

• Romancing The Chocolate: National Chocolate Cake Day Today! 2 Recipes (dennysfunnyquotes.blogspot.com)
• Romancing The Chocolate: Cookies: Triple Chocolate Pistachio Mint (dennysguestbloggers.blogspot.com)
• Unusual 2 Tasty: Valentines Day: Warm Upside-Down Pear Cake With Tangerine Custard Sauce (dennysfoodandrecipes.blogspot.com)
• Romancing The Chocolate: Cookies: Double Chocolate Chunk Mint (unusual2tasty.blogspot.com)
• Romancing The Chocolate: Chef Recipe: Chocolate Tart with Caramel and Cream (unusual2tasty.blogspot.com)

Romancing The Chocolate: Cookies: Unusual Tabasco Chocolate Cherry

Romancing The Chocolate: Cookies: Unusual Tabasco Chocolate Cherry: From Denny: Enjoy a little pepper heat with your chocolate? Then these unusual cookies from the Tabasco hot sauce company are for you.

Chocolate and cherries are another winning combination enjoyed during the Valentine's Day celebration or Christmas season. Tabasco just decided to kick it up a notch.

This recipe calls for making huge cookies that are shaped into football ovals and then decorated with icing to resemble the pigskin laces. Instead you can shape them into hearts, piping icing with a heart inside a heart for decoration.

Related articles

• Romancing The Chocolate: Cookies: Triple Chocolate Pistachio Mint (dennysguestbloggers.blogspot.com)
• Romancing The Chocolate: Cookies: Spiced Chocolate Macaroons (dennysfoodandrecipes.blogspot.com)
• Romancing The Chocolate: Cookies: Chocolate Crackled (dennysfoodandrecipes.blogspot.com)
• Romancing The Chocolate: Black Raspberry Chocolate Macadamia Cookies (thehealingwaters.blogspot.com)
• Romancing The Chocolate: Cookies: Double Chocolate Chunk Mint (unusual2tasty.blogspot.com)