Harvest Bark

How is it that bark makes everything better?

There is something so delightful about chocolate, nuts, dried fruit and sea salt. It’s a perfect nutty, sweet and salty combination. This bark is super simple and incredibly versatile. You can make this bark in so many different ways – different chocolates, nuts and dried fruit. The options are limitless.

I love to give this away as a little tokens of Autumn. I either put it in a clear plastic bag with a pretty ribbon or I put it in mason jars with a little tag. If I’m being greedy and keeping it all for myself, I love to have it displayed in apothecary jars on my sideboard so guests can partake.

I just love this stuff.  You’ll be surprised how yummy it is and that it takes practically no time at all to whip up – my kind of recipe.

The cast. Chocolates, cashews and dried apricots.

Next up the chocolate melting process. If you want to use the traditional double boiler method then go for it but I have found that this works just as well.

Essentially you put your chocolate in the microwave for 30 second intervals. The first 30 seconds you will see practically no melting taking place. That’s okay, but do stir anyway.

After the second round in the microwave, your chocolate will look like the chocolate above. You want to stir really well as there is latent heat in the bowl and in some of the chocolate.

This is after my third and final session in the microwave. Stir, stir, stir.

The key with melting chocolate is that you want it to be warm but not hot. When it gets hot, it becomes crumbles of chalk chocolate and essentially its ruined-  I’ve been there once or twice.

After your chocolates are melted, pour the milk chocolate onto your parchment, then add the white chocolate on top and swirl.

The key is not to mix it to well, as you want those pretty swirls.

Add your toppings and cool in the fridge for 20 minutes.

Bust out that knife and break apart.

Viola! Its so, so yummy – I’m not just saying that. I hope you get to make this very soon!

much love!

Jess

 

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Harvest Bark

Ingredients

1/4 cup cashews (roasted and salted); chopped
11 ounces of chocolate or 1 bag of good chocolate chips
5 ounces of white chocolate or 1 bag of good white chocolate chips
1/4 cup apricots, chopped
Pinch of Fleur de Sel or good sea salt

Place the chocolate in a glass bowl and place it in the microwave on high power for 30 seconds. Stir well with a rubber spatula. Put it back in the microwave for another 30 seconds and stir again. Continue to heat and stir every 30 seconds until the chocolate is just melted (usually 3 times). Repeat the same melting process for the white chocolate.
Pour the melted chocolate onto the parchment paper and spread it lightly into a rectangle. Next drizzle the white chocolate and swirl to create steaks.  Next Sprinkle the top evenly with the cashews, apricots and pinch of sea salt. Set aside for at least 2 hours until firm, or refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Cut the bark or break it apart and serve at room temperature.

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