Monday, May 18, 2015

Ginger Almond Dark Chocolate Bark

Exotic, spicy, chewy bits of crystallized ginger take this delicious almond bark to the next level!



A beautiful friend of mine who's hair I cut & color-weave, brought me a taste of some chocolate bark that she made. It had crystallized ginger in it, and I think it had almonds in it too, I can't remember, I just know I loved the ginger! I wanted more...

I have been playing with chocolate in my kitchen again (a regular occurrence). The weather has been cool and rainy here, so I can't work on my garden or plant flowers right now. Obviously, creating with chocolate was the next best thing to do with my time. Chocolate is a great distraction any time, right?

I love the chewy bits of ginger in this bark. They create a nice contrast with the crunchy roasted salted almonds. I added extra dried ginger powder for an added dimension of ginger flavor. The ginger flavor also deepens with time, as the ginger's essential oils are infused into the dark chocolate.

Added bonus: Ginger is great for your digestion. Almonds add protein and fiber, while the dark chocolate is high in good-for-you antioxidants. All good reasons to make and eat this luxurious chocolate!

This recipe is very easy to do, taking hardly any time at all to make. So when that craving hits, you can have gourmet chocolate in no time!

I like the grown-up flavor of this recipe. The dark chocolate flavor stands out beautifully here. I hope you enjoy it too.



Ginger Almond Dark Chocolate Bark Recipe:

500 grams high quality French dark chocolate (or Lakanto Sugar-Free Dark Chocolate!)
50 to 100 grams (1/4 c. to 1/2 c.) chopped crystallized ginger, to taste
300 grams (2 cups) roasted salted whole almonds
6 grams (1 T.) powdered dried ginger root


Method:

Chop the dark chocolate if it is not already in small wafers, and place in a microwave-safe bowl.

Gently melt the chocolate in 45 second intervals in the microwave, stirring in between.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper and chill in the refrigerator a few minutes.

Stir the chopped crystallized ginger into the melted chocolate and mix well.

Add the powdered ginger and stir in well.

Add the whole roasted salted almonds and stir in well.

Scrape the chocolate mixture out onto the prepared baking sheet and spread out evenly.

Chill in the refrigerator until completely set, up to 30 minutes.

Break up the bark into serving sized pieces and store airtight.


Photos of the process:



Chop the crystallized ginger.
Seed the melted chocolate by adding a bit of unmelted chocolate pieces.
Stir the chocolate pieces thoroughly into the melted chocolate to cool it down.
Keep stirring until the added chocolate is completely melted.
Add the chopped ginger, ground ginger, and then the almonds and blend well.
Pour onto a prepared baking sheet and spread out evenly.
Chill until completely set up.
Break up into pieces.


Enjoy!

Leila.

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