Homemade Hostess Gifts

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Homemade hostess gift | Pistachio chocolate bark with Himalayan Pink Salt | Lindt Chocolate giveaway | Maple and Marigold

End of the year means holidays and entertaining, and friends and family. With all this going on festive time can get expensive. Last year I started a new tradition – homemade hostess gifts using candied nuts and flavoured sugar. These were so well received by my friends that I decided to make it an annual tradition.  

When Lindt Chocolate invited me to meet with one their Maîtres de Chocolatiers and learn about chocolate I knew I had to say YES! The experience was amazing. I learnt that not only does Lindt Chocolate make glorious chocolate, they are also committed to a high standard of ethics and sustainability. That means the chocolate that you buy is delicious AND it’s giving back to the people who deserve it – the farmers. Homemade hostess gift | Pistachio chocolate bark with Himalayan Pink Salt | Lindt Chocolate giveaway | Maple and Marigold

After the session, I came away filled with inspiration, as well as tips and techniques for working with chocolate.

Did you know:

  • When tempering chocolate, do not let the melted liquid reach a temperature higher than 33 degrees. 
  • Use Silpat instead of parchment paper – it will be easier to handle the chocolate. I learned my lesson early in working with chocolate.
  • When making chocolate bark use chocolate with cacao no more than 70%, the flavour will be unbeatable.

And boy were they right! One of the recipes I learned was for Chocolate bark – just what I needed for homemade hostess gifts.

Pistachio Chocolate Bark With Himalayan Pink Salt

Homemade hostess gift | Pistachio chocolate bark with Himalayan Pink Salt | Lindt Chocolate giveaway | Maple and Marigold

Recipe for Homemade Chocolate Bark

Ingredients

  • 4 bars of 100 grams each dark choc – chopped
  • 1/2 cup of chopped roasted pistachios
  • A sprinkle of Himalayan salt
  • I also tried other toppings – see below.

Steps

  1. Melt and temper the chocolate. See tips below
  2. Add the pistachios to the melted chocolate. Stir to combine.
  3. Spread on a baking tray lined with silpat.
  4. Sprinkle with some more pistachios and press them down with parchment paper.
  5. Refrigerate for 5-10 minutes to let it set.
  6. Let it sit on the counter (at room temperature).
  7. Store in an airtight container, in a cool place.
Homemade hostess gift | Pistachio chocolate bark with Himalayan Pink Salt | Maple and Marigold

Tips From My Kitchen

  • Ideally one needs a double boiler to temper chocolate. Since I don’t have one (and I refuse to buy another kitchen utensil) I put together a make-shift solution – a small Pyrex glass bowl that fixes on top of a pan with boiling water. Don’t let the bowl touch the boiling water otherwise, the chocolate will seize.  
  • I tried different toppings – candied orange peels and nuts were by far my favourite. Experiment with the flavours you like and customize the recipe with your favourites. 

Disclaimer: This post was inspired by a visit with the Lindt chocolatiers and I came away with samples. The narrative and opinion is mine. 

Questions + Comments

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KittyPride
6 years ago

Milk chocolate is my favourite.

Amy Heffernan
6 years ago

White chocolate! MMM Thanks!

Tanyab79
6 years ago

Dark chocolate is mine, when I was younger it was white.

loriag
6 years ago

I love milk chocolate.

Joni W
6 years ago

I LOVE dark chocolate

lynn clayton
6 years ago

milk is a favorite

Linda
6 years ago

Milk chocolate is my fav, and I always have some Lindt`s in the house around Christmas time.

Corrina Paisley
6 years ago

… chocolate with peanut butter anything! 🙂

Tara Betterley
6 years ago

I love Milk Chocolate as well as mint Chocolate! My hubby loves white chocolate and he is a big fan of Lindt!

Corrina Paisley
6 years ago

Oh, and it definitely has to be milk chocolate too. 😉

Francine
6 years ago

I like dark chocolate

Brenda Witherspoon-Bedard
6 years ago

we like milk choc – but ALL chocolate is good

Donna Wilson
6 years ago

Dark chocolate is my favorite!

Judy Cowan
6 years ago

I love anything with Dark Chocolate, but in a pinch I would go with any type of chocolate!

Maureen
6 years ago

Milk chocolate is my favourite!

Julie D
6 years ago

I love milk chocolate, and we have a Lindt store not too far from our house! (So delicious, Lindt!)

Cheryl MacPhail
6 years ago

I like dark chocolate and most with nuts 🙂

Anne Taylor
6 years ago

My favourite kind of chocolate is Milk Chocolate!

loucheryl
6 years ago

I love dark chocolate with toffee bits!

Carey Hurst
6 years ago

Well to be honest I love each and every piece of chocolate I can get my hands on lol . But I love a homemade white chocolate peppermint candy bark . Anything with a bit of spice as well so delish .

Jenn
6 years ago

Milk chocolate is my absolute favourite.

Catherine Brown
6 years ago

I like dark chocolate.

Francine
6 years ago

My favourite chocolate is lindors hazelnut filled chocolates.

Florence Cochrane
6 years ago

I love dark chocolate.

Carol McCann
6 years ago

I LIKE WHITE PEPPERMINT CHOCOLATE BUT I HAVEN’T TRIED A CHOCOLATE THAT I DIDN’T LIKE

M james
6 years ago

Love Dark Chocolate

Gillian Morgan
6 years ago

Milk chocolate has always been my favourite.

Alison Braidwood
6 years ago

I love milk chocolate, particularly Lindt’s Salted Caramel.

Maritess
6 years ago

I love milk chocolate with nuts. I am not a fun of fillings inside.

Rhonda W G.
6 years ago

I love dark chocolate with almonds the best!

Tainan Lu
6 years ago

I love milk chocolate.

kristen visser
6 years ago

my favorite is white chocolate

Rebby
6 years ago

Milk Chocolate LINDT is my fave!! I always buy Lindy this time of year!

Christy E
6 years ago

I love milk chocolate – especially Lindt truffle

Josh S
6 years ago

Milk chocolate is my fave, followed by white chocolate

louise
6 years ago

Milk Chocolate 🙂 YUM!!!!

Bailey Tulak
6 years ago

My favourite chocolate is the chocolate in my mouth! I usually go for milk but I do get cravings for dark and white.

Lorna Webster
6 years ago

I love the Lindt Milk shaped chocolate like the bears and santas etc.

Gord
6 years ago

My favourite is milk chocolate.

Courtney
6 years ago

I love milk chocolate!

Margo b
6 years ago

I’m a chocolateholic and I love ALL KINDS of chocolate, I’m not picky as long as I have chocolate and wine I’m happy 🙂 happy holidays to you and your family

linda cassidy
6 years ago

any with sea salt or chilis yum

seham m
6 years ago

I love dark chocolate

Barbara Dye
6 years ago

i love salted caramel chocolate….yum

missbobloblaw
6 years ago

I love a really good dark chocolate.

Marilyn M
6 years ago

Dark chocolate……….or ANY chocolate

lisa bolduc
6 years ago

I am pregnant so I can say any. lol. I am not a big fan of dark choc though.

Jenn Beckett @jennpup
6 years ago

Any chocolate made by Lindt makes my heart happy! This year, I insisted the kids had Lindt advent calendars – so good!

Robyn Bellefleur
6 years ago

I love all types of chocolate, but dark chocolate is my favorite.

Scott MacMillan
6 years ago

Dark and bitter chocolate for me.

Puneeta Chhitwal-Varma<br/><small>Photo by Tanvi Madkaiker</small>
Puneeta Chhitwal-Varma
Photo by Tanvi Madkaiker

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Puneeta is a writer, food advocate and guide for those who seek earth-friendly, delicious solutions that work for real life.

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