Peanut butter chocolate bark

I'm a huge lover of Reese's Pieces but they are quite hard to come by over here in the UK (unless you're prepared to pay an arm and a leg for them) so this recipe is my DIY fix.

Chocolate bark is the in thing right now and it's so easy to make.  I had a funny conversation with my daughter who asked what I was making -

Me: "I'm making chocolate bark".

Her: "Why's it called 'bark' Mummy?"

Me: "I don't know."

Her: "Perhaps it's because it's brown like the bark on a tree."

Me: "Oh maybe."

Her: "Ooooor, because it's brown like our dog and she barks."

She cracks me up.  Anyway, on to the super simple recipe for this moreish delight.


Ingredients:

• 300g dark chocolate broken into chunks
• 200g smooth peanut butter
• Handful of chocolate beans

First line choose a flat baking tray with edges (a swiss roll tin), line with greaseproof paper making crisp folds at the edges and corners.

Melt half the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of hot water being careful not to get any water in contact with the chocolate.  When completely melted, pour into the tray and tip it so it runs to all four edges.

Leave to cool.

When the chocolate has gone hard, take the peanut butter and briefly heat it in the microwave to make it easier to spread (no more than 30 seconds should do it).  Spread over the chocolate, working quickly so the peanut butter doesn't start to melt the chocolate underneath it.

Pop it in the fridge to cool and harden for about an hour.

Melt your remaining chocolate same as before and pour over.  Depending on the finish you want, you might want to drag it with a palette knife, or tip it so you get a smooth finish.  You can pop any air bubbles with a cocktail stick.

Leave to cool for about 10 minutes, but before it's fully set sprinkle your rainbow coloured chocolate beans on to decorate.

Once set, pop it in the fridge to harden before breaking or cutting into shards. Tip: you can tidy up any messy edges with a knife warmed in hot water or over the gas ring briefly for a neater edge.

Do I need to put a health warning in this?  Do I really?  OK, obviously it's not suitable for those with a peanut allergy.  Or indeed for those with no self-restraint.