Christmas Bark (Dark Chocolate Bark with Pistachio and Raspberry)
Christmas bark is a gorgeous red and green take on dark chocolate bark, studded with roasted, salted pistachios and freeze dried raspberries. Make the super-quick and easy version, or take the extra step of tempering the chocolate for added shine, stability, and snap. Both versions are great. It's up to you!
Servings: 16
Calories: 176kcal
Ingredients
- 1 pound (454 grams) dark chocolate
- ¼ cup (28 grams) shelled, roasted, salted pistachios
- ¼ cup (10 grams) freeze-dried raspberries
Instructions
- Basic method
- Chop chocolate, pistachios, and raspberries separately.
- Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or on half power in bursts of 30 to 60 seconds the microwave, stirring gently and frequently either way.
- Pour melted chocolate onto a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment and spread into an even layer. You can choose the thickness — I prefer something between ¼ and ⅛ inch.
- While chocolate is hot, sprinkle with chopped nuts and raspberries.
- Let rest until completely set, then break into shards.
- Tempered method
- Finely chop ⅔ of the chocolate, leaving the rest whole or in large chunks. Chop pistachios and raspberries separately.
- Heat the chopped chocolate in a double boiler or on half power in bursts of 30 to 60 seconds the microwave, stirring gently and frequently either way, until it reaches 120°F.
- Place the solid chocolate into the melted chocolate and stir until the temperature is reduced to 82°F. If there is any remaining solid chocolate at this stage, remove it.
- Heat the melted chocolate again very briefly over the double boiler or in the microwave, just until it reaches 90°F. Chocolate is now tempered and ready to use.
- Pour tempered chocolate onto a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment and spread into an even layer. You can choose the thickness — I prefer something between ¼ and ⅛ inch.
- While chocolate is hot, sprinkle with chopped nuts and raspberries.
- Let rest until completely set, then break into shards.
Notes
- I've used 60% dark chocolate here. You can use whatever percentage you like. With so few ingredients, be sure to choose ones you really love.
- To make a double boiler, set a wide heatproof glass or metal bowl over a pot of simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water.
- Chocolate and water do not mix. Work with completely dry tools and be sure not to let any of the water from the pot enter the bowl. I like to use a bowl with a wide lip (like the one in the video) to make this easier.
- You can test whether the chocolate is tempered by smearing a very little bit of it onto the prepared baking sheet and waiting for it to set. If it looks shiny like a fancy candy or good chocolate bar, it’s properly tempered and ready to use. If not, you can repeat the tempering process.
- I find that salted pistachios lend just the right amount of savoriness to this recipe, but if you're into salted sweets you can add a sprinkle of a flaky sea salt like Maldon.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 | Calories: 176kcal | Carbohydrates: 15.6g | Fat: 11.8g | Fiber: 2.1g