Servings
Variable
Ready In:
30 min
Good For:
Sweet Treat
About this Recipe
By: Morgana Jane
Chocolate Bark – one of the easiest treats to whip up over the holidays! (But to be honest, you don’t have to wait for the holidays!). Our families can’t get enough of it and it makes a great little treat to give out to friends and co-workers. They’ll think you slaved away in the kitchen for hours – but you’ll have them fooled with this amazingly quick and delicious treat!
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Ingredients
- Dark Chocolate
- White Chocolate
- Dried Cranberries
- Pecans
The main player here is Dark Chocolate, accompanied by White chocolate and anything else you would like to add to the mix! I usually use dried cranberries and pecans, but you can use whatever strikes your fancy! Tiny Jelly Beans, Raisins, Almonds, Crushed Candy Canes, Hazelnuts – the possibilities are endless! Bring your creative spirit to this decedant treat and see what happens!!
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Nutrition
Hahahaha – don’t be ridiculous! This is a treat, straight up. It will nourish your soul, but not your body! It’s loaded with sugar and isn’t good for you at all… In fact, it has little to no nutritional value at what-so-ever, save a little protein from the nuts and cacao – and, ok, maybe a vitamin or two in dried cranberries!
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1 – Quanities…
There are no hard measurements here – for my chocolate bark I use a ratio of Dark Chocolate: One Measure, to White Chocolate, 1/4 Measure. So if I use a two cups of dark chocolate, I will use 1/2 a cup of white chocolate. Chocolate bark is not science! Use as much or as little of any single ingredient as you like!
As for the garnish, again, use as much or as little as you like! I just set out some bowls with whatever garnishes I am using and sprinkle away until it looks done to my liking!
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Step 2 – Melt That Sexy Chocolate!
Over low heat, melt the chocolate In a bain marie, double boiler, or a glass bowl set over a pot (melt the dark and white chocolate sparately, and at the same time). Here is the only caution you need to be aware of: melt the chocolate slowly over low heat! If you bring it up too hot or two fast, you won’t achieve that lovely, velvety texture you are looking for and if there is any fluctuation in temperature, it may thicken in the pot and turn lumpy. Also, use a good quality chocolate. I use Callebaut for my Chocolate Bark and it never disappoints! Callebaut is also readily available.
Step 3 – Chop, Chop!
While the chocolate is melting, rough chop the pecans and separate the dried cranberries as they tend to stick together (and no one wants that mess in their bark!). Place pecans and cranberries in separate bowls and set aside.
Step 4 – Pour & Spread!
Place one sheet of baking parchment on the counter for every cup of dark chocolate you have melted. When the chocolate is melted, pour it onto the parchment sheets and spread it thinly over the parchment.
Step 5 – Sprinkle or Marble!
You can add your garnish next (just sprinkle it around evenly) and then drizzle the white chocolate over top. Or, you can drizzle white chocolate over the dark chocolate before you add your garnish, and use a bamboo skewer (or toothpick) to marble the white chocolate into the dark chocolate by swirling the bamboo skewer through the white chocolate, and then scatter the garnish over the marbled chocolate.
If you want to marble the chocolate, do it before you add the garnish – it’s a bit of a challenge to marble after you garnish and makes a bit of a mess of things…
Step 6 – Leave it Alone!
Once your masterpiece is complete, leave it alone and let it sit until the chocolate has hardened – I leave mine overnight.
Step 7 – Break it Up
When the chocolate bark has set completely, break it into pieces. What size? Any size you like – I break mine into bite sized chunks.
If you are giving your chocolate bark out as gifts, place into little cellophane bags or containers of some kind. Or – if it’s all for you, toss it into covered storage bowls. Whatever you do, don’t put the chocolate bark in the fridge! Chocolate does not like fluctuations in temperature – so store it at room temperature until you are ready to enjoy it! And believe me, enjoy it you will! Happy Holiday Bark!
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