It feels right to make dark chocolate bark with pecans and seeds — without adding any sugar. It’s a change from the indulgence of sugary and buttery cookies of late. I use 72% cacao dark chocolate bar from Trader Joe’s; sea salt brings out its natural sweetness. Both the nuts and seeds add crunch and, more importantly, the nutrients. Furthermore, what’s better to give than a big box of homemade nutty healthful chocolate bark. Naturally sweet and without the sugar!
INGREDIENTS: There are only three ingredients: dark chocolate, nuts and seeds. There are plenty of room to play around with the ingredients. Nuts can be almonds, pecans, walnuts or hazelnuts. Seeds can be sunflower, pumpkin or sesame seeds. However, dark chocolate is nonnegotiable. The darker the chocolate the better, but any 70 percent dark chocolate or higher contains antioxidants, fiber, potassium, calcium, copper, and magnesium. And it’s delicious too.
METHOD: The tempering process is an important skill to master when it comes to working with chocolate. It’s desirable for the chocolate bar to be shiny and snaps cleanly as you break it. This indicates that the internal crystal structure is uniform and it will be stable at room temperature. I don’t always get consistent results, but it’s worth getting it right.
SPECIAL NOTE: Patience is key and a thermometer will help get you to the tempered chocolate without losing your mind. This Jacque Torres recipe uses a water bath to melt the chocolate. I’ll stick with the approach. It may take longer than melting chocolate in the microwave in 30-second intervals. For all I know, rushing the process undermines the best practice of being patient and present as you temper chocolate. Even with the water bath, sometimes I can’t resist turning up the heat too high and too fast. That overheats the chocolate beyond the working temperature of approximately 90°F. Don’t make the same mistake! You want to avoid the chocolate looking dull, so stay focused on the changes in temperature. An instant-read thermometer is an indispensable tool.
In a bowl set over a saucepan of gently simmering water, heat the chopped (finely chopped, I might add) chocolate, stirring occasionally, until it is about two-thirds melted; do not let the bowl touch the water. Remove the bowl from the saucepan and stir the chocolate until it is completely melted and the temperature registers 90°F on a candy thermometer.
Dark Chocolate Bark with Roasted Almonds and Seeds
This super-chunky dark chocolate bark from chocolatier Jacques Torres only requires a few ingredients — dark chocolate, roasted whole nuts, and salted roasted sunflower and pumpkin seeds.
Ingredients
- 1 pound dark chocolate (60 to 70% cacao)
- 1 ¼ cups roasted whole almonds
- ¾ cup salted roasted sunflower and pumpkin seeds
Instructions
TEMPER THE CHOCOLATE: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a sharp knife, finely chop the chocolate. In a bowl set over a saucepan of gently simmering water, heat the chopped chocolate, stirring occasionally, until it is about two-thirds melted; do not let the bowl touch the water. Remove the bowl from the saucepan and stir the chocolate until it is completely melted and the temperature registers 90°F on a candy thermometer. If the chocolate has not melted completely and is still too cool, set it over the saucepan for 1 or 2 minutes longer, stirring constantly; do not overheat.
COMBINE WITH ALMONDS AND SEEDS: Stir the almonds and seeds into the chocolate and spread onto the prepared baking sheet in a 1/2-inch-thick layer, making sure the nuts and seeds are completely covered in chocolate. Refrigerate the bark for about 10 minutes, until hardened. Invert the bark onto a work surface. Remove the parchment paper, break into 25 pieces, and store or serve.
MAKE AHEAD: The broken bark can be stored in an airtight bag or container at cool room temperature for up to 10 days.
Notes
https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/dark-chocolate-bark-roasted-almonds-and-seeds
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