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Apples and Honey Chocolate Bars

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Apples and Honey Chocolate Bars are made with rich, dark chocolate and crunchy bits of dried apple and honeycomb candy. These beautiful bars are easy to make for sweet treats or special homemade gifts.

This Apples and Honey Chocolate Bars recipe is sponsored on behalf of #AppleWeek. Our generous sponsors Envy Apples, Bob’s Red Mill, Republic of Tea, Flahavan’s Irish Oats, Nairn’s, Taylor & Colledge, Zyliss, Chocoley, and Torani have provided us with products for recipe creation and a giveaway for our readers. As always, all opinions are my own.

Unmolded Apples and Honey Chocolate Bars next to chocolate bar inside red gift box surrounded by red apple shaped gift tags

This is my third and last post for #AppleWeek 2019.  I hope you enjoyed the Oatmeal Fruit Bars and Apple Oatmeal Cutout Cookies! You can find the list of each day’s recipes at the bottom of my posts.

A full listing of all of the #AppleWeek recipes  can be found at Culinary Adventures with Camilla.  

Do you associate apples with any experiences or traditions? Two things come to my mind when I think about apples.

For me, fall will always mean back-to-school time and the symbolic “apple for the teacher”. The origins of that apple tradition aren’t clear and there seem to be numerous speculations. Whatever the original reasons were, “apple for the teacher” symbolizes teacher appreciation today.

I was lucky when I was an elementary school teacher to have several students whose families taught me by example just how important it is to show teacher appreciation. The impact of a simple gesture can go a long way to letting a teacher know that their hard work and dedication are noticed.

When my own children were in school, I made sure that we carried on that lesson. Our teacher appreciation efforts were always met with appreciation in return.

My second apple association is to the Jewish New Year which occurs in the fall. It is traditional on Rosh Hashanah to dip apples in honey symbolizing our hopes for a sweet New Year. You can read more about that tradition at Reform Judaism.org   

I made Apples and Honey Chocolate Bars with both of my apple traditions in mind! Made with creamy, dark chocolate and crisp bits of dried apple and honeycomb candy, this easy chocolate bar recipe is perfect for teacher appreciation or Rosh Hashanah!

Printable apple gift tags to cut out and attach with ribbon

This post has a gift for you too! Beautiful apple shaped gift tags illustrated by the creative and talented, Jen Goode from 100directions.com!

After I made my Apples and Honey Chocolate Bars, I searched for just the right gift tag to attach. I am delighted that Jen gave me permission to share two versions of these printable tags with you.

I suggest printing the tags on heavy weigh stock. Choose either the blank version (no writing on the apples) or the Rosh Hashanah version (“L’shana Tova” on the apples). Cut out the tags and punch a hole at the top of the apple to attach the tags to your gifts.

Whatever your purpose for making Apples and Honey Chocolate Bars, you will find this to be a simple project with tasty results!

Melting chocolate discs from Chocoley.com used to make Apples and Honey Chocolate Bars .

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT MAKING MOLDED CHOCOLATE

WHAT KIND OF CHOCOLATE IS USED FOR MOLDS?

Homemade chocolate bars can be made with either couverture or compound chocolate. Couverture chocolate requires tempering, a heating and cooling processes that re-establishes the cocoa butter crystals to create a crisp, shiny chocolate.

Compound chocolate, sometimes called melting or coating chocolate, doesn’t contain cocoa butter and doesn’t require tempering.Compound chocolate is a bit easier to work with and is an especially good choice for beginners.

I used Bada Bing Bada Boom candy and molding compound chocolate from Chocoley.com. This delicious chocolate is ethically sourced and is manufactured in facilities free of many common allergens!

HOW DO YOU MELT CHOCOLATE?

Compound chocolate discs can be melted over a double boiler or in the microwave at 50% power.

Caution should always be taken when melting chocolate to heat only to the point of melting. Overheated chocolate will harden and clump. A candy thermometer can help ensure that the melted compound chocolate is ideally 110-115°F.

HOW LONG DO YOU LET CHOCOLATE MOLDS SET?

Molds should be refrigerated immediately after filling and be kept in the refrigerator just until set.

The length of time varies depending on the size and depth of the mold being used. A 4 ounce chocolate bar mold takes approximately 20 minutes to set completely.

Add sugar, water, honey to saucepan. Bring to boil. Add baking soda to foam. Pour onto lightly greased baking sheet.

Honeycomb candy broken into irregular pieces, chopped finely for making chocolate bar add-ins.

HOW TO MAKE HONEYCOMB CANDY

  1. Use cooking spray to lightly coat a cookie sheet.
  2. Combine the sugar, honey, and water in a medium saucepan and heat to boiling, stirring continually.
  3. Lower the heat and without stirring, allow the mixture to reach 300°F (measured on a candy thermometer)
  4. Remove from the heat and gently whisk in the baking soda. The mixture will foam.
  5. Pour the foam onto the prepared cookie sheet and allow to cool and harden.
  6. When cool, break into pieces.

Photo directions to make Apples and Honey Chocolate Barsfirst layer of chocolate in mold, mix together melted chocolate, chopped honeycomb, and chopped cripd dried apples, final layer in mold, finished chocolate bar out of mold.

HOW TO MAKE APPLES AND HONEY CHOCOLATE BARS 

  1. Melt ¼ cup of chocolate in the microwave at 50% power until melted (about 45-55 seconds)
  2. Immediately spread the melted chocolate into the bar mold in a thin layer completely covering the bottom of the mold.
  3. Chill in the refrigerator to firm the chocolate (about 10 minutes).
  4. Melt the remaining ½ cup of chocolate in the microwave at 50% power until melted (about 1 minute).
  5. Add in the chopped honeycomb and dried apple. Mix to coat completely.
  6. Spread the mixture evenly completely covering  the first chocolate layer/
  7. Refrigerate until the chocolate is set (about 20 minutes).
  8. Gently pull the edges of the mold to release the chocolate bar, then turn over to remove the bar from the mold.

 

Chocolate bar set comes with bar mold, gift box, cellophane chocolate bar bag.

TIPS FOR MAKING APPLES AND HONEY CHOCOLATE BARS

  • I used a chocolate bar kit from Chocoley.com.  The kit includes a mold, a cellophane storage bag, and a gift box.
  • Keep water away from the chocolate. Just a drop of water can cause melted chocolate to seize and become cement-like.
  • Set the mold on a warm towel or heating pad before and during filling the first layer to keep the chocolate from beginning to set at room temperature. If the chocolate begins to set, the surface of the bar can look cloudy or streaked from separation of the compound chocolate ingredients.
  • Be sure to chill each layer in the refrigerator to firm the chocolate correctly.
  • Make Apples and Honey Chocolate medallions if you don’t have a bar mold. Mix the chocolate and add-ins according to the recipe and make chocolate discs on wax paper. 

 

 (The Monday Box participates in affiliate marketing programs. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. If you choose to purchase a product after following a link on this page, I will receive a small commission, at no cost to you, which helps make The Monday Box possible.)

 TOOLS AND INGREDIENTS YOU MAY NEED TO MAKE APPLES AND HONEY CHOCOLATE BARS

 

 

MORE CHOCOLATE CANDY RECIPES

Chocolate Marshmallow Hearts

Nonpariels

Peanut Butter Cups

Peppermint Fudge

crisp bits of honeycomb and dried apple inside pieces of Apples and Honey Chocolate Bar in a bowl

 APPLES AND HONEY CHOCOLATE BARS RECIPE

These delicious candy bars are just as crunchy as store bought crunch bars, but are way more flavorful with tart, dried apple and sweet honeycomb candy. Homemade chocolate bars make great apple themed gifts for teacher appreciation and for Rosh Hashanah.

Apples and Honey Chocolate Bars

Honeycomb

  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • ½ tablespoon baking soda

Chocolate Bar

  • ¾ cup melting chocolate (I use Chocoley.com Bada Bing Bada Boom dark dipping and coating) (divided)
  • 1 ½ tablespoons crisp dried apples (finely chopped)
  • 1 ½ tablespoons honeycomb candy (finely chopped)
  • Chocolate bar mold (4 oz. capacity)

For Honeycomb

  1. Lightly coat a cookie sheet with cooking spray.
  2. In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, stir the sugar, honey, and water until the mixture begins to boil.
  3. Lower the heat to medium-low and continue cooking, without stirring, until the mixture reaches 300° F.
  4. Remove the saucepan from the heat and gently whisk in the baking soda, just until combined. The mixture will foam and rise.
  5. Pour the mixture onto the prepared cookie sheet. Do not spread.
  6. Cool at room temperature, then break into pieces.

For Chocolate Bar

  1. In a small bowl, microwave ¼ cup melting chocolate discs at 50% power for about 45 seconds, until melted when mixed.
  2. Spread the melted chocolate into the mold and chill in the refrigerator about 10 minutes or until firm.
  3. Microwave the remaining ½ cup melting chocolate discs in the same small bowl, at 50% power for about 1 minute, until melted when mixed. If not completely melted at 1 minute, return to the microwave and heat at 50% power for 15 second intervals until melted.
  4. Add the chopped apple and honeycomb to the melted chocolate. Mix to coat the add-ins.
  5. Spread the chocolate mixture into the mold.
  6. Return to the refrigerator for 20 minutes or until firm.
  7. Gently remove the chocolate bar from the mold and place it in a cellophane bag.
  8. Store at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Chocolate should only be included in care packages in cool weather. Use cardboard chocolate bar boxes, tissue paper or bubble wrap to protect the bagged chocolate bars. To avoid breakage, be sure there is no movement in the shipping box.

FRIDAY’S #APPLEWEEK 2019 RECIPES

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