I love to make this Christmas Bark every year for the holidays.  It’s just so festive looking with the red cranberries and the green pistachios.  You can find that peppermint bark everywhere during the holidays, I prefer this version, it’s a little different, somewhat unexpected.  Plus, it makes me feel like I’m eating something kinda good for me, with the dark chocolate and nuts.  Kinda.

This treat is very easy to make which means there is still time to whip up a batch to bring as a hostess gift to your New Year’s Eve party.  You might want to double this recipe, you will want to keep some for yourself!

Happy New Year everyone!  

4 oz bittersweet chocolate 

2-3 oz white chocolate

dried cranberries (a handful)

pistachios, shelled and roughly chopped (a handful)

dried apricots, rough chopped (a handful)

Method

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Break up all the chocolate into small pieces and place approximately 3 oz of the semi-sweet chocolate and 3 oz of the bittersweet chocolate in a microwave safe bowl.  Keep the white chocolate separate for later use.  Microwave in 30 second increments, stirring with a spatula after each 30 seconds, until 90% melted.  Remove bowl from microwave and stir until all the chocolate has melted.

Immediately add the remaining semi-sweet and bittersweet chocolate pieces to the bowl and stir until melted.  This is my lazy man’s way of tempering chocolate.  I have absolutely no patience for dealing with a candy thermometer, etc.

Ok, your dark chocolate is done.  In another microwave safe bowl do the same process with the white chocolate.

While the white chocolate is melting pour the dark chocolate onto the parchment lined baking sheet.  With an offset spatula spread out the chocolate to an even thickness of your choice.  You can see from the above photo the thickness I prefer.

Next, take the melted white chocolate and drizzle it all over the dark chocolate with a spoon.  You can add as much or as little of the white chocolate as you want.  With the edge of a sharp knife, swirl the chocolate.  Next sprinkle the dried cranberries, pistachios and dried apricots all over the chocolate, all the way to the edges.  Again, you can add as much or as little as you want.  Ever so slightly press some of the larger pieces into the still liquid chocolate.

Place the baking tray into the fridge until the chocolate is firm, approximately 30 minutes, although this really depends on how thick you made your bark.  Once firm, with your hands, break  the chocolate into large chunks.

Store in refrigerator until just ready to eat.