December 18, 2012

My Version of Chocolate Bark

 (This was a picture of me making last years batch. I posted it to tease everyone who was getting some, they fought over the picture! lol)

Ive been sick awhile with some gall bladder issues so I haven't been cooking much....haven't been eating much either. But my daughter asked me for my recipe for the Chocolate Bark that I usually make each yr and send out. I searched all the places that I post my recipes and realized I never posted this one here ever. The original comes from here http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/three-chocolate-bark-with-spiced-pecans-and-dried-cherries-recipe2/index.html  But I make a few changes to it based on what I like. So Ill post the recipe here but with my changes. Feel free to do it however you want. I just know I cannot make enough of it at Christmas, everyone wants to be on my list for this! 

Three Chocolate Bark with Spiced pecans and Drunken Cherries

  • 7 tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 2 cups pecan pieces
  • Salt
  • Cayenne pepper
  • Pinch ground nutmeg
  • Pinch ground cinnamon
  • 1 pound semisweet chocolate, cut into pieces
  • 1 pound dark chocolate, cut into pieces
  • 1 pound white chocolate, cut into pieces
  • 2 cups dried cherries
  • Brandy
     I soak the dried cherries in brandy earlier in the day. I heat the brandy up just a bit and pour enough over to cover. The cherries will plump up and absorb some of the brandy. I like to leave them whole but you could chop them first if you want smaller pieces. When ready to use drain and let sit on a paper towel till needed.

    Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
    In a large saute pan, melt 4 tablespoons of butter. Add the brown sugar and stir until the sugar dissolves and is bubbly. Add the pecans. Season the pecans with salt, cayenne, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the sugar starts to caramelize  and coat the pecans evenly. Cook for about 4 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and spread the pecans over a parchment lined baking sheet. Place the pan in the oven and roast the pecans for about 6 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and cool completely. Break the pecans into small pieces.



    Sprinkle the pecans and soaked cherries in a lg. baking pan....like a jellyroll pan with edges.  In three separate mixing bowls, add each type of chocolate into the individual bowls. Place the bowls over a saucepan half filled with water that has come to a boil. After about 2 minutes over the heat, the chocolate will start to melt. I do these in the order of what layer I want on the bottom, working my way up to white chocolate. This way I only need one pot. Stir each chocolate until totally melted. Remove the chocolate from the heat and stir 1 tablespoon of butter into each bowl of chocolate.  Using a spatula, spread the mixture out evenly back and forth to about 1/4-inch thick. When you add the next layer of chocolate, swirl it thru the bottom layer if its still soft. In this way, with each chocolate type, you can see them all.  Either place the sheet pan in the refrigerator or allow to sit out until set, about a couple of hours. Break the bark into medium pieces and serve.

    I buy my chocolate from Traders Joes. Their one lb. bars are reasonably priced and its a very good chocolate. The better the chocolate you use, the better this is. 

2 comments:

kathyinozarks said...

I have read your posts on how everyone loves your christmas bark. thank you much for the recipe.

Anonymous said...

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