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Chocolate Bark Recipe:
16 ounces (1 pound) (450 grams) semi sweet or bittersweet chocolate, divided
1 3/4 cups (250 grams) natural whole almonds (skin on)
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Chocolate Bark: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Place the almonds on a baking sheet and bake about 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly brown and fragrant. Let cool.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Take 4 ounces (115 grams) of the chocolate and finely chop. Set aside.
Then coarsely chop the remaining 12 ounces (340 grams) of chocolate. Place in a heatproof bowl and melt the chocolate over a saucepan of simmering water.
Once melted, remove from the heat and check to see that the temperature of the chocolate is between 115-119 degrees F (46-48 degrees C). Once at that temperature, gradually add the remaining 4 ounces (115 grams) of finely chopped chocolate, stirring with a heatproof spatula or wooden spoon, until a thermometer inserted about a 1/2 inch (1 cm) into the chocolate registers 90 degrees F (32 degrees C). (You may not use all the chocolate.)
Immediately stir in the toasted almonds and spread the melted chocolate onto the parchment lined baking sheet. Set aside to firm at room temperature for a few hours or refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
Cut or break the bark into small irregular pieces. The chocolate bark can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for at least two to three weeks. The Chocolate Bark can also be frozen.
Makes about 1 1/2 pounds (700 grams) of Chocolate Bark. Preparation time 1 hour.
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Chocolate Bark is so easy to make at home. Only two ingredients are needed; your favorite dark chocolate and nuts. You can use either semi sweet or bittersweet chocolate, and while I have used whole natural almonds in this Bark, you could use other nuts or even some dried fruits. Because the chocolate is tempered it can be stored for weeks at room temperature which makes it perfect for gift giving.
When you buy a chocolate bar, you will notice that the chocolate is nice and shiny, dry to the touch, with a hard and brittle surface which "snaps" when you break it. That is because the chocolate has been tempered. And that is what we are going to do in this recipe. The method I give here for tempering involves just two steps; slowly melting the chocolate and then cooling the chocolate to 90F (32C). The temperature of the chocolate is very important when tempering, so you will need either a mercury candy thermometer or a digital thermometer.
If you have spent any time on the site you know I often talk about how the brand and type of chocolate you use will affect the flavor of what you are making. For this Chocolate Bark use either a semi sweet or bittersweet chocolate that you enjoy eating on its own.