[1] Semisweet chocolate bar with dried fruits and nuts (photos #1 and #2 © Pampered Chef).

[2] A white chocolate bar with rainbow sprinkles.

[3] Dulcey or blonde chocolate, created by Valrhona, is white chocolate that has been caramelized to a buttery, rich caramel flavor. These bars are sprinkled with cookie pearls at Nuchocolat (photo © Nuchocolat).

[4] Decorations typically don’t add flavor, but they contribute good looks. These gold sugar pearls are from Weraru).

October 18th is a holiday most Americans are happy to celebrate: National Chocolate Day. While it’s easy to pick up some of your favorites—bark, bars, bonbons, truffles, and more, in just 20 minutes you can have a batch of homemade chocolate bars. The best part: use the add-ons of your dreams to create your signature chocolate bar. Your chocolate bar, your way.

To make individual candy bars, you’ll need a special silicone tray with wells. Here’s one from Pampered Chef.

Use it for:

 
Next, pick your chocolate type: blonde/dulcey (photo #3), dark, milk, or white.

Finally, gather as many add-ons as you like. Some ideas:

 
 
RECIPE: HOMEMADE CHOCOLATE BARS

Thanks to Pampered Chef for this easy recipe. Prep time is 5 minutes, cook time is 15 minutes.

For a finer quality chocolate bar, use chocolate disks (a.k.a. wafers) instead of chocolate chips.
 
Ingredients For 12 Small* Bars

 
Preparation

1. MICROWAVE the chocolate and oil in a 3-cup heatproof bowl for 2–3 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, or until smooth.

2. PLACE an even layer of add-ins on the bottom of the bar mold wells. Pour the chocolate over the top and smooth out with a small spatula.

3. CHILL the tray in the freezer for about 15 minutes, or in the refrigerator until the candy bars are set.
 
 
MORE ABOUT CHOCOLATE

> CHOCOLATE TYPES & TERMS

> CHOCOLATE HISTORY

> CHOCOLATE BARK HISTORY

> CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES HISTORY
 
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*Approximately 2″ wide x 4″ long. If you want larger bars, there are many molds available online. You’ll need to adjust the ingredients accordingly.