Valentine’s Day is tomorrow, and many will satisfy their sweet tooth on this special day. While some will look to purchase candy for their loved ones (or themselves), others may seek out recipes to make their own sweets.
Lisa Marie White has a great deal of experience in that department. The Executive Pastry Chef at Killebrew Coffee and Pastry Shop within the Thompson Nashville Hotel (as well as its other restaurants, Marsh House and L.A. Jackson) has become a pastry darling around the city and was even recognized by the James Beard Foundation as a semifinalist in the Outstanding Pastry Chef category last year.
For Valentine’s Day, Chef White has created a dish that she calls Sunshine Bark. It includes various different types of cereals, glitter, sprinkles, and more. It’s the perfect recipe for home bakers looking to create something special on February 14, or even beyond that day.
Sunshine Bark
Ingredients
- 12 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped
- 12 oz. white chocolate, chopped
- 1/2 tsp. Hot pink food coloring (cocoa butter colors)
- 3 large conversation hearts
- ¼ tsp of edible glitter and sprinkles
- 10 lucky charm marshmallows
- 10 Froot Loops
- 3 Circus Animal Crackers
- ¼ tsp pink chocolate curls
Feel free to get creative with your ingredients.
Directions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Fill the bottom of a large saucepan with 3” water and bring to simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat to low, then place a large heatproof bowl on top. Add semi-sweet chocolate and stir occasionally until chocolate has melted. Pour into prepared baking sheet and spread into an even layer with an offset spatula. Set aside.
- Over the same pot of barely simmering water, place another large heatproof bowl. Add white chocolate and stir until melted.
- Separate out ¼ of the melted white chocolate into a different bowl - add a few drops of pink food coloring (cocoa butter colors) and stir until even in color.
- Pour the remaining white chocolate over the set semi-sweet chocolate, then ladle spoonfuls of the pink white chocolate on top of the white chocolate. Using a toothpick or a tip of a knife to make swirls with the colored with pink mixture.
- Immediately top with conversation hearts, Circus Animal crackers, glitter, marshmallows, sprinkles, Froot Loops, and pink chocolate curls. Refrigerate until set (about 20 minutes).
- Break into smaller pieces and package in clear bags to give to all of your loved ones.
Recipe courtesy of Lisa Marie White, Executive Pastry Chef at Killebrew (Thompson Nashville)
