dark chocolate bark
This dark chocolate bark is shamefully easy, yet looks so gorgeous. Feel free to scatter the topping randomly or in whichever pattern you prefer. It’s a great little indulgence to keep on hand to save you reaching for a store-bought chocolate bar. Dark cooking chocolates often have four times the sugar of quality 85 per cent dark chocolates; choosing a higher cocoa content is a simple way to cut out a lot of sugar.
Ingredients
200g raw dark chocolate or 85% min. dark chocolate, gently melted (see Tips)
1 tbsp dried blueberries
1 1/2 tbsp dried goji berries
2 tbsp shelled pistachios, chopped or slivered
2 tbsp dried cranberries (see Tips)
2 tbsp flaked coconut, toasted
1 tbsp cacao nibs
Method
1. Line a large tray with a sheet of non-stick baking paper. Spread melted chocolate over baking paper in a rough rectangle, about 35cm × 26cm.
2. Scatter over blueberries, goji berries, pistachios, cranberries, coconut and cacao nibs. Set aside for 1 hour (or refrigerate for 10-15 minutes) until set. Break or cut into pieces to serve.
Tips
You can also make this chocolate bark using 200g raw cacao mass and 1-2 tablespoons coconut syrup or honey. Place cacao and syrup/honey in a heat-proof bowl and place over a small saucepan of gently simmering water. Melt until smooth and follow as per recipe.
Try to find unsweetened or minimally-sweetened dried cranberries (free from artificial sweeteners). If you prefer, you can use dried cherries instead.
To make this a raw dark chocolate bark, use a raw dark chocolate (or raw cacao mass – see Tip above) and melt it as gently as possible – preferably at no more than 40°C to 50°C – to preserve more of its natural goodness.
