Chocolate Pumpkin Bark

the80srule's Note:

I became utterly addicted to this pumpkin bark that appears at Whole Foods in the fall, but it's quite expensive so I wanted to try making my own version at home. It's a little time-consuming but delicious, and far cheaper! Would be a hit at fall parties. The spicing is really dependent on how much you want the pumpkin to stand out, 1-2 teaspoons is what I prefer. Dark chocolate would also work nicely in this but milk chocolate makes for rich bark that pairs well with the pumpkin. The kind I buy at the store has no crunchy bits in it, the fixings were my idea, but it's delicious both crunchy and smooth! Cook time is both the stovetop and chill times. Yields about 1.5-2 lbs. EDIT: Fixed due to typo-- should be 1/2 cup pumpkin or a bit less, the melted white chocolate should still have the same consistency as melted chocolate. I made this again using an 11 x 7 pan which I liked better.

• Total Time: 3 hrs 20 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 3 hrs

Ingredients:

Serves: 15-20

Yield: 2.0 pounds ...

• 1 (12 ounce) bag chocolate chips
• 1 (12 ounce) bag white chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 -2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

OPTIONAL FOR CRUNCH

• pumpkin seeds
• chopped walnuts
• chopped pecans
• rolled oats

Directions:

1. Line a 9 x 13 (or 11 x 7) dish with wax paper or parchment paper. In a double boiler (or my ghetto way of filling a pot with water then putting a metal bowl over the top of it) place the milk chocolate chips inside, until nearly fully melted (should be about 5 minutes or less) and pour into the pan evenly.
2. Clean out the metal bowl/top part of the double boiler and melt the white chocolate chips, blending with the pumpkin and spice.
3. Pour into the pan and stir up here and there with a fork to create a marbled look and mix it up a little.
4. I prefer to leave the bark smooth but if you want to add the crunchy fixins like the pumpkin seeds, nuts, oats, etc. sprinkle them on now and press some of them into the bark with a fork if you like.
5. Place the pan in the fridge and chill until completely firm, I play it safe and leave it in a couple hours.
6. Extract the bark from the pan once it's fully set, and break up into random pieces (always fun) or for a more professional appearance, cut with a large sharp knife, keep covered and chilled until ready to serve but trust me, this will barely last leaving your house en route to the fall parties!