When I think homemade dessert, I usually think brownies or cookies. But here’s the thing, there is another, equally easy option: chocolate bark! It comes together quickly, is relatively fool proof (as long as you follow my specific method of melting chocolate- read notes), and keeps in the fridge for several days. This recipe also only takes 4 ingredients, which is greatly less than most cookie or brownie recipes. With Thanksgiving and winter holidays on the horizon, this is the perfect treat to make and gift to friends and family you may not be able to celebrate with in person this year!
Ingredients:
(Serves 4 | Takes 30 minutes)
- 4oz (1 bar) 60% baking cacao, roughly chopped
- 2 tbs candied ginger
- 3/4 cup pomegranate seeds
- Sea salt to taste
Directions:
- Get a small-ish pot and a heat-proof bowl to nest inside of it (swipe for example- I’d use glass or stainless). Remove bowl, fill in pot with enough water to slightly touch the bottom of the bowl, and bring to a gentle boil.
- Meanwhile, roughly chop chocolate and place ~2/3 of it in the bowl. Once water is gently boiling, turn off heat and place the bowl on top. Do not stir. When the chocolate is almost melted, remove and add other 1/3 of chocolate. Stir, then add half the pomegranate seeds and all the ginger.
- Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Pour chocolate mixture atop- spreading out thinly with a spatula/ wooden spoon. It’s okay if it doesn’t cover the whole tray! Sprinkle on remaining pomegranate seeds and push down into chocolate. Sprinkle salt.
- Freeze for 15 min or until hardened. Sprinkle with additional salt and enjoy!
Notes:
On buying candied ginger. I bought mine at Safeway in the spice aisle. Look for “candied ginger” or “crystalized ginger” — they are the same!
On pomegranate seeds. I had a fresh pomegranate which I used. For reference, I got 1 cup of seeds out of my pomegranate. If you don’t want to be bothered with de-seeding a pomegranate, most stores sell packaged pomegranate seeds in the pre-cut fruit section.
On why you’re not melting all the chocolate at once. It’s called “tempering,” and it helps give the chocolate a smooth, glossy finish (think candy bar) prevents “blooming.”
On what “blooming” is. Ever have a whiteish coating appear on a homemade chocolate creation? Recently, I made a chocolate treat, only to have the surface of the chocolate turn whiteish. After some research, I discovered blooming and its antidote, tempering. The whiteish coating was either the fat or sugar blooming– aka the crystals changing. Tempering the chocolate stabilizes the cocoa crystals.
What if I want an easy easy dessert but not this one? Don’t worry, I have you covered below:
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One reply on “Salted Dark Chocolate Pomegranate Bark with Candied Ginger”
[…] seeds. In my yogurt, in my chocolate (walk don’t run to buy the 4 ingredients to make these), as a snack. But at a certain point, enough is enough. And that is the point at which I start […]
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