Salty & Sweet Chocolate Bark with Organic Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Almonds
Recipe By Executive Chef John McConnell
Yield: 25 pieces
INGREDIENTS:
½ c. Kalamata olives, sliced in half, draining on paper towel
1 lb. dark chocolate (60 to 70% cacao)
1-¼ c. Clif Family Organic Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Almonds, roughly chopped
½ c. sunflower seeds
½ c. pretzel sticks, broken in half
DIRECTIONS:
Scatter sliced olives on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake in the oven on the lowest setting (175° F) for about 2-3 hours to dehydrate.
Line a second baking sheet with parchment paper.
On a large cutting board, finely chop the dark chocolate and place in a heat resistant mixing bowl. Melt the chocolate in the mixing bowl over a pot of gently simmering water ensuring the bowl does not touch the water. Stir occasionally until the chocolate is about two-thirds melted. Remove from heat and stir constantly until the chocolate is fully melted and reads 90° F on an instant read digital thermometer. If not fully melted, return over the simmering pot of water for 1-2 minutes longer. Do not overheat.
Fold in the nuts, seeds, pretzels and dehydrated olives into the melted chocolate. Spread in an even ½-inch layer across the second prepared baking sheet, ensuring the inclusions are fully covered in chocolate. Refrigerator for about 10 minutes to harden.
Invert sheet tray onto a work surface and remove parchment paper. Break the bark into pieces.
Pair with a glass of Clif Family’s Bici Red Rhône Style Blend.
