How many Christmas traditions do you have as a family? Do you have an elf that comes to visit each December? Do you go for a holiday brunch before visiting Santa at the mall? Do you open one gift on Christmas Eve? How about gingerbread houses? Over the years I’ve tried a few times to make gingerbread houses but they usually end up looking as though a tornado went through the village. The walls never stay up, the roof collapses, I eat too much candy and run out of decorations…you know how it goes. So this year I decided to go with an easier yet delicious gingerbread house version – Gingerbread House Bark! All the deliciousness of a gingerbread house without the structural difficulties.
Gingerbread House Bark:
So this is basically a soft gingerbread topped with marshmallow fluff, melted chocolate and all your favorite decorating candies like gum drops, jelly beans, candy coated chocolates and more. Since the cookie is soft, it’s not a crunchy treat like barks usually are. The melted chocolate covering it will break like a traditional bark but the gingerbread layer is soft like a cookie. Super tasty! I just served this at a holiday party over the weekend and it was a huge hit!
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup cooking molasses
- 1½ teaspoons ginger
- 1 teaspoon allspice
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground clove
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- ½ cup butter, unsalted
- 1 egg, beaten
- 3½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 jar marshmallow fluff (approximately 7.5 ounces or 210 grams)
- 16 ounces Bakers semi-sweet chocolate, melted
- variety of Christmas candies like gum drops, jelly beans and candy coated chocolates
- Preheat oven to 325F. Line a cookie sheet with a silicone baking mat.
- In a large saucepan, combine sugar, molasses, ginger, allspice, cinnamon and cloves over medium-high heat. Bring this mixture to a boil, stirring often.
- Remove from heat and stir in baking soda.
- Add butter and stir until melted.
- Stir in egg until well combined.
- Stir in flour and mix until well combined. You may need to get in there with your hands to knead it until it's well combined.
- Spread dough evenly over cookie sheet. You'll want to use a rolling pin for this as it can be a crumbly mess.
- Bake for 15 minutes.
- As soon as it comes out of the oven, top it evenly with the marshmallow fluff (the heat will help you spread this easier) then top evenly with melted chocolate. Add candies to the top while the chocolate is still melted.
- Place in fridge for at least one hour for the chocolate to harden and set.
- Break into pieces and store in a sealable food storage bag in the fridge.
Love bark recipes? Then check out some of our other favorites…
Easter Bark – This could also be called S’mores Bark because it’s a layer of graham crackers, marshmallow fluff, chocolate and your favorite Easter candies.
Sweet & Salty Bark – Chocolate on potato chips? Trust me, it’s delicious!
You’ll find more delicious ideas on our Recipes page. Stay updated on the latest by following us on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter.
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