Chocolate Marble Pumpkin Bark ‘Bars’ with Nutella Cookies and Salted Pepitas, for SRC

October 8, 2012 at 12:00 pm | Posted in Candy, Cookies, Holiday, SRC | 51 Comments
Tags: allspice, bars, chocolate bark, cinnamon, coconut, cookie bark, Ginger, no-bake nutella cookies, Nutella, pepitas, pumpkin seeds, recipes, white chocolate

I have never made any kind of chocolate bark. No idea why..it’s one of simplest treats you can cobble together in no time, and the add-in possibilities are endless. I’ve also never met or known a guy named Nigel who isn’t British, but that’s beside the point. There have been a lot of nevers in my life. We all have a lot of nevers in our lives and some of them should stay nevers, but chocolate bark isn’t one of that should stay a never, for most.

Well..I just crossed the chocolate bark never off my list. BUT, this did not come about until I made a no-bake cookie by my Secret Recipe Club blog assignment..Kim of Cravings of a Lunatic. I love her blog..I loved all the goodies I could choose from..I loved her no-bake Nutella cookies, which I chose after mulling over many goodies. There are these Caramel Coconut Bars and these luscious looking meatballs..not to mention her array of other no-bake treats, (I was feeling the no-bake this month) but the two former choices were guest posts, so even if she made their recipes, I figured I would stick with something that was 100% hers or something she adapted or decided on herself.

I also decided on this chocolate bark since it’s Fall..and Halloween is beckoning us with it’s witchy finger. In other words..it’s candy time and time for me to get some pumpkin recipes up. Her bark is a simple white and dark chocolate marble with pistachios, which sounds great..although the photos were gone, so I couldn’t see what it looked like. However, I read something about her losing some photos via Google +, so I assume that’s why they were missing.

I took Kim’s bark recipe..doubled the white chocolate and added two more ounces of dark chocolate. The best part was adding the pumpkin and spices to the white chocolate, along with salted pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds). BUT, the bestest part was adding chunks of her no-bake Nutella cookies to it as well. This came to me at the spur of the moment as I looked at the still melted bark with a sprinkling of pepitas. It just begged for something else. It needed some bling.

I looked over at the sheet pan of thick and hunky nutella cookies and it almost seemed as if one winked at me – a shiny, glint of chocolate cooing, ‘Come on, baby..give me a chance”.

It was a match made in heaven..and this bark, as well as the cookies, are heavenly! It looks and sounds like it would be overly sweet, doesn’t it? Well..it isn’t. The pumpkin, spices and salted pepitas tone down the sweetness of the white chocolate, and the semisweet chocolate is well, semi sweet, so no major surge in blood sugar outside of the bits of cookie.

The addition of the no-bake nutella cookie chunks made the chocolate bark more like a cross between a cookie bar and chocolate bark, rather than a chocolate bark by itself. Not a bad thing.

Speaking of cookie..I made some small changes to her No-Bake Nutella Cookies. I used butter instead of shortening..increased the amount of nutella and added a bit of orange zest to cut the richness. I also eliminated the coconut extract..toasted the coconut, and added vanilla extract. You see, she has some vanilla components in there that she makes herself..like vanilla salt and I think vanilla oats. I do have vanilla sugar on hand, since I use loads of vanilla beans in all kinds of sweet and savory preparations, but I just used granulated sugar because I felt the vanilla extract was enough.

OK, I need to fit in a few more photos so I need to find something to talk about. Did I ever tell you I love cleaning squid? Pulling out the quill, which looks like a piece of plastic, never ceases to amaze me. Have I mentioned that every few years I get on a Friends kick and DVR every late-night showing of it? I’m glad I just finished the entire series run the past two months, since I was running out of space.

Did I ever tell you about the reader who sent me a scathing email implying I worshiped the devil because of THESE donuts?

With that being said, yes..my life is kind of boring. It doesn’t take much to excite me. Last night the Yankees won Game 1 of the ALDS….and that excites me. We ate this bark while watching it, so technically, this is good luck bark.

OH, one more thing I forgot to mention – the pumpkin white chocolate remains slightly softer than the plain chocolate, so in retrospect – you can call it slightly gooey chocolate marble pumpkin bark..with no-bake nutella cookies and salted pepitas.

Man, I’m all ovah da place!

OK, I’m really grasping at straws here, so I’ll just ask you to pop on over to Cravings of a Lunatic. She’s funny, she’s a great cook, and I have a feeling you just might become addicted to her blog! A good addiction, even if your jeans go up one size.

No Bake Nutella Cookies
Adapted from Cravings of a Lunatic
Makes about 10 1/4 cup size cookies.

1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick – 4 oz) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup whole milk
5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2/3 cup Nutella
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt
1 to 2 teaspoons orange zest (optional)
1 cup flaked/shredded coconut, preferably unsweetened, toasted
3 cups quick cooking oats

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a medium saucepan, combine milk, sugar and cocoa. Bring to a boil over medium high heat and let he mixture boil for 2 minutes..then reduce heat to medium low and stir until sugar is dissolved, about another minute or 2.

2. Stir in the softened butter, Nutella, salt, orange zest (if using) and vanilla extract. Stir until butter is completely melted, then stir in the oats and toasted coconut, coating both completely.

3. Line a 12 x 17 baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat, then scoop your desired size of cookie onto the sheet..spacing them about 1 inch apart. I made huge ones…about 1/4 cup a cookie which gave me 10 cookies, but of course you can make them much smaller for a larger yield.

4. Let set, then enjoy! Set aside one or two large cookies or several smaller cookies for bark.

Chocolate Marble Pumpkin Bark with Nutella Cookies and Salted Pepitas

12 ounces good quality white chocolate, chopped (I used Callebaut for both chocolates)
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger
1/4 teaspoon allspice
8 ounces good quality dark chocolate (semisweet or buttersweet), chopped
A handful of salted pepitas..more or less, the amount depending on your preference.
Several of the No-Bake Nutella Cookies, recipe above

DIRECTIONS:
1. For both chocolates, place a medium size glass bowl over a small pot filled with about an inch of water. Make sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. You can make two double boilers and do both chocolates at once..checking and stirring each with separate wooden spoons or silicone spatulas. I melted one chocolate at a time…easier and you need to wtach it diligently. You can temper the dark chocolate, which I did, if you like. The pumpkin added to tempered white chocolate might be a waste of temper.

2. I started with the white chocolate so it would have time to cool a little before adding the pumpkin and spices. Once the white chocolate has cooled down for about 10 minutes – whisk in the pumpkin and spices until smooth and uniform (pumpkin and spice white chocolate is SO GOOD)

3. Now, depending on how thick you like your chocolate bark..either use an 13 x9, 11 x7 or 8 to 9-inch square pan to marble the chocolate. For the 11 x7 or 13 x0 sheet pan..line with parchment paper. For the 8 or 9-inch square baking pans..you also need to line them with parchment, but there is some cutting involved to make a smooth sheet on the bottom with handles on the side. It should look something like THIS.

4. Pour the pumpkin white chocolate onto or into the pan.. depending on whether it’s a sheet pan or square baking pan. Pour dollops of the dark chocolate on top..then marble both together. Alternatively, you can alternate the pouring of each chocolate, then marble them together.

5. Sprinkle the pepitas all over the top..pressing some in, then stick cut up pieces of the cookies all around it..being careful to let some of the marbling show through. Cover and chill in the fridge for about an hour. When set..Break up bark on sheet pan, or lift out bark from square pan and then break it or cut it up. It will keep well for about 2 week in the fridge…1 week at room temperature..but I doubt it will last that long!

If you have a moment, pease click on the blue frog below to see what my fellow Group A blogger’s chose to make from their blog assignments. Warning – it will make you verrrrry hungry!

I’m submitting these to Roxana’s, from Roxana’s Home Baking, #chocolateparty theme for October- chocolate and pumpkin!

51 Comments »

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Oh, wonderful! Both the barks and cookies look terrific.

Cheers,

Rosa

Comment by Rosa Mayland— October 8, 2012 #

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Wow these look amazing. I have to save this recipe!!

Comment by Delishhh— October 8, 2012 #

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They both look very tempting.
But the Chocolate Marble Pumpkin Bark with Nutella Cookies and Salted Pepitas definitely caught my attention big time!!

Comment by Winnie— October 8, 2012 #

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LOL, I love your rambles here, Lisa! Also loooving the no-bake cookies and the bark! We must have been on a pepita wavelength, since we both posted recipes with them today!

Comment by Jenni (@GingeredWhisk)— October 8, 2012 #

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Absolutely love that you used two recipes and adapted them. That made my day. I love the cookies. And yah for crossing bark off your list. You will now want to make it every single day. It’s a serious addiction. And yup, my pics got axed from a google plus incident. I’m lucky enough to still have loads on my pc so I need to go back and fix that post. I’ve already done 6 months of fixing all the ones it stole. So I need to go back another 6 months to do more. Pretty sad when you have to edit a years worth of posts. There’s barely enough time in a day to do current ones. But thanks for the reminder cuz I need to get them done and over with. Love everything you did with the recipes and thanks so much for your kind words. See I got all rambly myself. We ramblers need to stick together. xx

Comment by cravingsofalunatic— October 8, 2012 #

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Great choices…I love no bake desserts!!

Comment by Jaida (Sweet Beginnings)— October 8, 2012 #

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I’d submit to watching a Yankee’s game if…IF, I got to eat some of your bark. Looks wonderful, as usual.

I know you’ve seen the picture, here’s my SRC entry Baked Buffalo Chicken Wings.

Lisa~~

Comment by Lisa~~— October 8, 2012 #

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Awesome recipe! Love adding no bake cookies to chocolate bark…inspired!

Comment by Sara— October 8, 2012 #

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Cookies, bark, chocolate, pumpkin, Nutella – I am officially in a dessert overload my friend, everything looks AWESOME!

Cheers
Choc Chip Uru

Comment by Choc Chip Uru— October 8, 2012 #

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Kim’s blog is amazing and I really love this recipe that you made. BTW – I have to thank you for the Ricotta Cheese inspiration. Your recipe index presented me with quite the conundrum – what to make especially when there is so much deliciousness on there. I finally accomplished something on my culinary bucket list.

Comment by Cooking In Stilettos (@cookinstilettos)— October 8, 2012 #

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Hahaha.. leave it up to you to some how get the cleaning of a squid into the cookie baking stuff somehow… Do you remember my first cleaning experience of a squid? God that can still give me nightmares…lol… Back to the topic at hand; love your chocolate goodies and hopping over to cravings of a lunatic… Gotta love that name too!

Comment by junglefrog— October 8, 2012 #

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Both the Bar and the cookies look amazing! I think these are winners!

Comment by Matthew S Horbund (@mmWine)— October 8, 2012 #

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You’ve almost left me speechless with the wonder that is this bark!!! Holy cow! Your creativity is just over the top. The combination of the pumpkin components with dueling chocolates and then the Nutella cookies with all their wonder too??? I’m in heaven. This may very well be the most enticing bark I’ve ever laid eyes on. I’m all over this… I need this in my life. Now. And you live close enough to just whip me up a batch real quick. Pretty pretty please with salted pepitas on top? Lovely job!

Comment by FoodBabbles— October 8, 2012 #

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What a combo of flavors! And that color is just gorgeous! (Sweet as Sugar Cookies)

Comment by ps152 (@ps152)— October 9, 2012 #

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The bark looks fantastic nothing like I have ever seen or tasted. The photos look great. Since your using Nutella it has to be awesome how creative with your combinations. Raw foodists would love this .

Comment by Dan— October 9, 2012 #

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These look so so so delicious. Are pepitas the same as pumpkin seeds?

Comment by thelittleloaf— October 9, 2012 #

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All of it looks mouth watering delicious!

Comment by Lori— October 9, 2012 #

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How great that you made two delicious recipes. I’ve never seen no bake cookies dressed up so much.

Comment by barbarabakes— October 9, 2012 #

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those cookies remind me of something we made as kids, we loved them. and I love the look of bark, so interesting, but haven’t made it. The eyeball donut comment is hilarious! I still get SRC emails, but I am out…which is good as my kitchen is out of commission for 2 weeks….

Comment by sweetiepetitti— October 9, 2012 #

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looks great Lis. So would these fall in the low-cal category?? I have been so busy with a volunteering project at school that is under a deadline and my mother in law is visiting as well – too busy to post!

Comment by Crumbs of Love— October 9, 2012 #

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Lisa, Your Chocolate Marble Pumpkin Bark, paired with the Nutella cookies are totally genius, and soooo creative! What a fantastic collaboration of two amazing ladies!
I’m pinning this to the Pumpkin board, for sure! Absolutely love it, and the fab photos, as well:) xo
Lizzie

Comment by elisabeth@foodandthrift— October 9, 2012 #

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Yum! What a combination of recipes. I want them both!

Comment by Russell at Chasing Delicious— October 9, 2012 #

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There was a song in the 70′s, 80′s sometime while I was alive that went something like, “Ring my be..e..e.ll, ring my bell” I have no clue who sings it and am too tired and lazy at 12:09 to look it up, but it applies. Chocolate? Pumpkin? Nutella? STOP IT! Seriously?
Why am I reading this while I should be sleeping, when Im starving and my sweet tooth is kickin the night tunes? I have no frelling idea. Lets find Nigel the British guy and ask him. How will I make it through the night? Torture!

Comment by taralconklin— October 10, 2012 #

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Both of them look divine but then again we are talking chocolate here so how can they not be great?

Comment by Katerina— October 10, 2012 #

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Kim is such a doll. I could spend hours reading her fun posts;)LOVE the cookies and the bark. I’m not much of a bark maker and forget how fun and easy it is to put together. You know, I never met a Nigel either. Come to think of it, never met a Nigella;)xx

Comment by Lora @cakeduchess— October 10, 2012 #

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Bark is also on my ‘never’ list but thanks to this post that may be soon remedied. Both of these look wonderfully delicious. Love all the changes you made.

Comment by teaandscones— October 10, 2012 #

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I just made these yesterday but used chocolate store-bought cookies because I didnt have nutella. Iy was so good, especially the pumpkin white chocolate!

Comment by Andrea— October 10, 2012 #

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I love both your blog and Kim’s and this bark sounds like a great choice.

Comment by Roxana | Roxana's Home Baking— October 10, 2012 #

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You crack me up! Love cleaning squid….really? Now I need to experience this, LOL! And seriously, the devil just because of delicious doughnuts…..sometimes people are so jaded! Now I need to make bark this year, it sounds so fun to make:-) Gorgeous, Hugs, Terra

Comment by Terra— October 10, 2012 #

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This is such an unusual and yummy looking bark! I’m making this for a Halloween party..will report nack!

Comment by Hilary— October 11, 2012 #

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I gotta say, this is one creative and decadent treat. I found your blog through foodgawker and the cookies, and I really love your writing, so personable and fun.

Comment by George— October 12, 2012 #

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Yum! Looks great! I love cleaning squid too…especially when making calamari!!

Comment by Dina— October 12, 2012 #

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OMG, I so want to eat it all: bark with cookies and pumpkin. It really looks to die for Lisa. Now on the squid you lost me. The one and only time I bought a whole squid to fix I was utterly repulsed.

Comment by Cheap Ethnic Eatz (@cethniceatz)— October 12, 2012 #

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LOVE this!!! I think I may have to change SRC groups so I can be with you and Kim What a yummy bark…I’d probably have eaten all the nobake cookie batter right out of the pan, though, and not have any left to add to my bark!

http://thatskinnychickcanbake.com

Comment by thatskinnychickcanbake— October 13, 2012 #

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omigawd. Wow! I love your changes to those nutella cookies (toasted coconut and orange zest) and am thinking even though I’m not a huge nutella fan, those I could definitely go for. And the bark is amazing! You’ve added everything but the kitchen sink and the pumpkin makes them very Halloweeny-Autumny which I love. Fab! And now I need to make bark. NEVER have!

Comment by jamielifesafeast— October 14, 2012 #

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Yummm, your bark looks so incredible!
The flavors combination is so original,
especially because we basically use pumpkin here only for cooking…
So I really anxious to try this one!
The nutella Cookies also looks really yummy!

Comment by The Cookie Fairy— October 14, 2012 #

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Oh my. I think I just fell in love! Both of these treats sounds absolutely delightful … great SRC pick!

Comment by Kimberly— October 14, 2012 #

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I love that you married two of her wonderful recipes together. Also love your interpretation of the cookies. I’ve never made serious bark like this, only jokey holiday bark. Way impressed. I need to grow up and put my big bark pants on.

Comment by Lora— October 14, 2012 #

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Look at that luscious river of pepitas floating down the river of chocolate-swoon!

Comment by Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella— October 15, 2012 #

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These bark bars are phenomenal!! I’ve made two pans of it so far with more requests. Thanx so mucg!

Comment by Heather— October 16, 2012 #

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The bark looks great.

Comment by joy— October 17, 2012 #

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Oops, It looks like I forgot to comment here, though I did already read it?!? Yikes, my brain is turning to mush lately! No bake cookies have been a family favorite since I was a Brownie:) I have made them with Nutella before, but that’s as adventurous as I get. You, on the other hand, seem to amp things up quite a bit with great success!

Comment by Sue {munchkin munchies}— October 17, 2012 #

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[...] Chocolate Marble Pumpkin Bark with Nutella Cookies and Salted Pepitas, for SRC (parsleysagesweet.com) [...]

Pingback by Chocolate Nut Butter Bark | recipe 2 recipe— October 18, 2012 #

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holy moly!! That’s the perfect treat for the fall! Actually no, anything nutella is perfect for any time of the year, really! Pumpkin seeds are the perfect addition! Apparently, they’re pretty nutritious too! haha.. lovely recipe as usual Lis!!

Comment by Sammie— October 22, 2012 #

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Mmm… Nutella and pumpkin? I would be all over these! I’m shocked that you’d never made bark before. We make at least 4 different kinds every Christmas. So easy!

Comment by deliciousdishings— October 23, 2012 #

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I’ve read through this recipe three times and can’t see where you add the nutella in. Can you please inform…thanks.

Comment by Jackie— October 23, 2012 #

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- Hi Jackie! The nutella is in the no-bake nutella cookie recipe above the chocolate marble pumpkin bark recipe. You break a few no-bake nutella cookies into pieces and press them into the chocolate marble pumpkin bark before it sets. The nutella cookies are in the ingredients for the chocolate bark and in number 5 in the directions Hope this helps!
  
  Comment by Lisa— October 23, 2012 #
  
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  - Hi Lisa. The cookie recipe is the recipe where I can’t find where you add the nutella. There is no mention of it in the directions. Thanks, I really want to make these
    
    Comment by Jackie— October 23, 2012 #
  - I’m so sorry, Jackie! I just fixed it! You add the Nutella with the butter, vanilla extract, orange zest and salt..then stir in the oats and coconut when it’s all melted! I’m so glad you pointed that out..thank you! Let me know how they turn out for you!
    
    Comment by Lisa— October 23, 2012 #
Well, would you just look at these incredible photos! Love the addition of orange zest to the Nutella cookies…It’s a plus that they’re no bake too! And who could resist that exceptional bark!

Comment by Bonnie Banters— October 27, 2012 #

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[...] Chocolate Marble Pumpkin Bark with Nutella Cookies and Salted Pepitas, for SRC (parsleysagesweet.com) [...]

Pingback by Chocolate Nut Butter Bark « jittery cook— November 29, 2012 #

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