Dark Chocolate Bark 

Dark chocolate is packed with flavonoids and is an excellent dessert in moderation. This bark is a very customizable recipe. The base recipe is: 1 cup total of toppings, such as cacao nibs, dried fruit, nuts, seeds, granola, dried coconut, or freeze-dried fruit + 1 teaspoon total of spices, such as cinnamon, chili peppers, ginger, sea salt, or citrus zest. We suggest a few different flavor combinations, but follow your creativity!

Serves 8     Prep Time: 10 minutes, 2 hours passive   Cook Time: 10 minutes    

Ingredients

2 cups dark chocolate chips (60% cacao or higher)
½ cup chopped dried figs
½ cup chopped pecans
½ teaspoon orange zest
½ teaspoon fennel seeds

Procedure

1.     Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

2.     Fill a medium saucepan 1/3 of the way with water. Place a medium bowl on top. It should fit securely, but bottom of bowl should not touch bottom of pot. Place chocolate chips in bowl and melt, stirring occasionally. (Alternately, melt chocolate in the microwave).

3.     Once chocolate is smooth and melted, pour chocolate onto cookie sheet. Spread with a spatula into a thin even layer. 

4.     Sprinkle evenly with fruit, nuts, and spices and place in refrigerator to set for at least 2 hours, or overnight. 

5.     Once set, break into pieces to serve. 

Plus: Try these other flavor combinations!

• Sweet Spice Blend, dried coconut, dried mango and cashews

• Dried cherries, hazelnuts, cacao nibs, and sea salt 

• Pumpkin seeds, dried papaya, chili powder and cinnamon

• Dried apricots, sesame seeds, turmeric, and cardamom

• Za’atar, almonds and dates