Goodbye Fall, Hello Chabad.org Blog

Much as it pains me to admit it, winter is on its way. The trees are mostly bare, we’ve already had snow, it gets dark in the middle of the afternoon, and I’ve finally caved and taken out my winter coat.

But I, for one, am not quite ready to say goodbye to fall yet. And while there’s no rule against eating pumpkin in the winter (or spring and summer, actually), it just tastes so much better in the fall. If pumpkin pie black-and-white chocolate bark is not the perfect seasonal adieu, I don’t know what is.

You’ll need good quality white and dark chocolate, roasted and salted pumpkin seeds, pumpkin pie spice and sea salt. A double boiler comes in handy for melting the chocolate, but if (like me) you don’t have one, just prepare a pot of boiling water and rest your mixing bowl in it. The bowl should not actually touch the water—the steam will do the work.

Ingredients:

• 3 bars good quality dark chocolate (300 grams)
• 3 bars good quality white chocolate (300 grams)
• ½ cup roasted, salted pumpkin seeds
• ½ tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• Sea salt

Directions:

1. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. Melt the white chocolate over a double boiler. Mix in half the pumpkin pie spice (¼ tsp.) and half the pumpkin seeds (1/4 cup). Pour immediately onto the cookie sheet, spread with a spatula, and freeze for 10–15 minutes.
3. Melt the dark chocolate over a double boiler. Mix in the second half of the pumpkin pie spice (¼ tsp.) and the other half of the pumpkin seeds (¼ cup). Pour over the white chocolate. Use a spatula to spread the chocolate out.
4. Sprinkle a few pumpkin seeds over the top, as well as some sea salt.
5. Freeze for 1 hour. Break into pieces and store in an airtight container in the freezer or at room temperature.

Note: I used chocolate chips instead of white chocolate (because I ran out), but I don’t recommend it. Good quality chocolate makes all the difference in this recipe. Do not use baking chocolate!

As much as I love fall, and am sad to see it go, this chocolate pumpkin bark is a celebratory treat too. I’m excited to share this new cooking blog with all of you, and just the thoughts of all the recipes to come have my fingers itching. So make some bark, grab some coffee (Or tea. Or hot chocolate. Or milk. Or any beverage of your choice, actually), and prepare to be lured in. Welcome!

What have you made for fall? Anything pumpkin-related? Which is your favorite season? Leave a comment and let us know. And make sure to check back for some exciting Chanukah recipes.