Chocolate Bark with Caramelized Cashews
This dark chocolate bark is loaded with sweet and crunchy caramelized cashews! It's easy to make, absolutely delicious, and requires just 3 ingredients! Plus, it makes a wonderful edible gift!
Ingredients
Caramelized Cashews
- 1/2 cup roasted cashews
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp water
The Rest
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips
- flaky sea salt optional
Instructions
Caramelized Cashews
- Add the sugar and water to a light-colored pan. Heat over medium heat, stirring regularly using a wooden spatula until the sugar melts (at first, it will form clumps, which is normal). Keep heating over medium heat until the sugar turns into a golden brown color. Note: Be careful not to burn the caramel, or it will turn bitter.
- Once the caramel is golden brown, immediately add the roasted cashews and stir to combine. Cook for another 15-30 seconds, constantly stirring to coat the nuts.
- Transfer the caramel-coated nuts to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Let cool completely.
- Chop the caramelized cashews into small pieces. Be careful, as the caramel can be quite sharp. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
Chocolate Bark
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Melt the dark chocolate over a double boiler. Tip: check the notes if you want to learn how to temper the chocolate.
- Once melted, spread the chocolate into a thin and even layer onto the prepared baking sheet. I went with a 1/8-inch thickness, but you can make it a bit thicker.
- Sprinkle the chopped caramelized cashews over the chocolate. Top with a pinch of flaky sea salt and refrigerate for about 30 minutes or until the chocolate has set.
- Break into pieces using your hands and enjoy! Store in an airtight container at room temperature (if you tempered the chocolate) for up to 15 days, or in the refrigerator or freezer for up to 1 month.
Notes
- If you don't have cashews: you can use peanuts, hazelnuts, almonds, pine nuts, or basically any nut!
- Feel free to be creative and add some dried fruits as well! Chopped dried figs, raisins, or even freeze-dried strawberries!
- You can chop the nuts very finely or make larger chunks for more crunch. That's up to you.
If you want chocolate that snaps, I highly recommend tempering the chocolate. Your chocolate bark will have a better texture and a shinier appearance. To temper chocolate:
- Before starting, be aware you will need a kitchen thermometer.
- Finely chop the chocolate and transfer it to a glass bowl. Place the bowl over a pot of simmering water. Melt the chocolate. Remove from heat once the temperature of the chocolate has reached 122-130°F (50-55°C). Set the pot of hot water aside as you will use it later.
- Place the bowl of melted chocolate over a bowl of ice water (be careful that no water gets into the melted chocolate!). Stir and let the chocolate cool down to 82°F (28°C).
- Next, place the bowl of melted chocolate over the pot of hot water and stir until the chocolate has reached a temperature of 88-89°F (31-32°C).
- Your chocolate is now tempered! You can spread it on the baking sheet before topping it with the nuts. Note: be quick, as tempered chocolate tends to set much quicker than non-tempered chocolate.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 piece | Calories: 95 kcal | Carbohydrates: 12.7 g | Protein: 1.5 g | Fat: 5.3 g | Saturated Fat: 2.2 g | Sodium: 1 mg | Potassium: 32 mg | Fiber: 0.2 g | Sugar: 9.8 g | Calcium: 3 mg | Iron: 1 mg