Welcome to Day 2 of our chocolate bark series! This one is a good one, particularly for those of you who love dark chocolate like we do. Our Strawberry Almond Dark Chocolate Bark combines dark chocolate with the nuttiness and crunch of toasted almonds and the flavor pops of freeze-dried strawberries.
The process here is the same as our Nutty Caramel Milk Chocolate Bark, which we posted yesterday and you can find here. Simply melt the chocolate with short bursts in the microwave, stirring to melt the last little pieces. Stir in most of the toasted almonds and freeze-dried strawberries before spreading the mixture onto a parchment-lined baking sheet in a thin layer. Sprinkle the last of the almonds and strawberries over the top.
You can’t beat the flavor of this one, and it is also so very pretty. The bright red of the strawberry pieces stand out against the dark background of the rich chocolate. It’s perfect for Christmas!
Find Your Favorite Chocolate
The chocolate you choose will make or break the flavor of this bark, so choose one you really like to eat. For fancier options that are really exceptional, but cost a bit more, check out Callebaut or Valrhona from World Wide Chocolate. Lately, I’ve been using Choceur chocolate bars from Aldi. They are less expensive, taste fantastic, and are easy to find.
Learning the Dark Chocolate Lingo
Dark chocolates are categorized according to percentage of cocoa, including both cocoa solids and cocoa butter. Higher percentages equal darker chocolate, with a smaller percentage of other ingredients like milk products, sugar, or flavorings.
Darker chocolate is in some ways more pure chocolate and with that comes a slightly more bitter flavor. In a bark, this bitterness compliments the tart strawberries and nutty almonds perfectly!
If you like the sweeter chocolates, try a lower percentage dark chocolate. To be considered dark chocolate, the percentage generally has to be at least 55%. You can get up to 100% dark chocolate on the extreme end. I love 70% or even 85%. Not sure what you like? Choose several and do a taste test to discover your favorite!
Go and Make Dark Chocolate Bark!
This whole series of chocolate barks makes the perfect last-minute gift or holiday treat. You can have it ready in around half an hour!
Package it up with some cookies, like these or these, and some Nutty Caramel Milk Chocolate Bark. Tomorrow we have one more bark recipe to share, so stay tuned! Sign up for emails to have the recipe sent directly to your inbox!
Enjoy!
Strawberry Almond Dark Chocolate
Ingredients
- 8 ounces dark chocolate
- 1 cup freeze dried strawberries chopped
- 3/4 cup slivered almonds toasted
Instructions
- Break the dark chocolate into pieces and place it in a glass bowl. Microwave on high for 30 seconds, then stir and microwave for another 30 seconds. Repeat this, heating and stirring in 30 second increments until the chocolate is almost melted. Stir to melt the remaining pieces.
- Combine the dried strawberries and almonds in a small bowl. Reserve 2-3 tablespoons and stir the rest into the melted chocolate.
- Line a sheet pan with parchment paper, then spread the chocolate mixture onto it in a thin, even layer. Sprinkle the reserved portion of almonds and strawberries over the top and let it set until firm before carefully cutting it into even pieces. If you prefer, you can simply break the bark apart by hand for more uneven pieces.
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