Chocolate Jumble, Candy Cane Bark, and More Easy Chocolate Treats to Make

Do you start a project when there's something on your mind and you need a distraction?  Well, the early morning found me making chocolates, that's a quiet time before the traffic starts, even before the birds get up and Lucy is watching me from the archway, waiting for the slightest gesture from me to give her a hug or something to eat.

On this morning I decided to tackle the candy making as I was getting short of time left to do so.  This is what I was making at 4am.

Gather your ingredients, this is incredibly easy to make.

I like to melt the chocolate in a small nonstick saucepan, slowly between the Low and #2 setting.  You could microwave it.  Check on it, stirring to blend and see how fast and thin the chocolate will drip.

Crushed candy canes added to some of the chocolate, stir and then pour the mixture on a waxed paper lined tray.  Spread with the back of the wooden spoon and then put the tray in the fridge to cool, or on the counter until it's firm.  Give it several hours, depending on the temp in the room, humidity, etc.    

Put as much or as little candy cane as you like.  I made the cane pieces very small, didn't want any broken teeth for anyone.  Once this tray of chocolate was broken, you could see the pieces of candy cane and it looked pretty good.

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With some of the plain melted chocolate, I spooned it over the pretzel rods, then I sprinkled crushed candy cane over them and put the rods on the waxed paper lined tray to set, putting it in the fridge to firm them up.

A second dipping would be nice after the first was set and cold, using a different chocolate and then the topping.  Today I was short on time and used one     thick chocolate layer and topping after it.




This is the Chocolate Jumble.  It's broken pretzels and Reese's Peanut Butter Chips  with melted chocolate poured over them in a bowl and mixed thoroughly.  Then the combo is spread on a waxed paper lined tray where I sprinkled ground walnuts and cinnamon sugar on top.

After this was thoroughly set and cooled I lifted it off the paper, turned it smooth side up and whacked it into pieces with a kitchen mallet.  A clean hammer or other strong tool would also work.  I break it up on the smooth side to keep the toppings side looking nice.

One regular size bag of Hershey's Special Dark chips made the tray of Candy Cane Bark and 30 Pretzel Dipping Sticks.  The tray size for the bark was the toaster oven tray.

A second bag of the Hershey's Special Dark chips and about 3/4 bag of Reese's Peanut Butter chips made the Chocolate Jumble.  I used about half a bag of pretzels for the Jumble. It's really good!  The tray size was the long cookie sheet, not the regular size.

With the teeny bits that were left after smashing, I gathered them to save for another use such as ice cream topping, put over frosting, put into cookie dough, etc.

Chocolate and pretzels- good.  Chocolate, peanut butter and pretzels- really good.  If you make it, I'd like to hear how you like it.