Dark Chocolate Bark With Sea Salt and Superfoods

I’m such a sucker for dark chocolate. It’s probably the one thing I could never walk away from.
The bitter bite with the subtle sweetness is IMHO the perfect combo. Add some coarse salt, crunch and dried berries and then you’ve got me hooked.
I’ve started making my own chocolate back a couple of years ago.
I did it in frustration, because I couldn’t find on the market a bark with salt and almond and goji berries and hemp seeds. I wanted all of these things in one bark and (obviously) no mass market brand made it.



I then discovered that making your own chocolate bark at home could not be more easy.
It’s the perfect treat to make for a dinner party, or you can wrap it up in some cool handmade packaging and even give it as a gift.
And let me tell ya, you’ll make quite an impression when you give a homemade chocolate bark.
You’ll look like a Maitre Chocolatier or something, while - in all honesty - all you did was to melt some chocolate and throw in some nuts, seeds or dried fruits.

I always buy high quality dark chocolate with at 87 percentage of cocoa, but you can shoot for higher percentage (such as 90%) if you like your bark to be bitter.
I really like the Himalayan pink coarse salt + almonds + goji berries + hemp seeds combo, but feel free to play around with your own favorite add-ins, and make this your own. You can use dried fruits, different nuts and seeds, spices, herbs, etc. You can really make something special every time.

Dark chocolate, hemp seeds, goji berries, almonds...this bark is as healthy as it gets. And as long as you don’t eat it all by yourself, you’re good to go!

Dark Chocolate Bark With Sea Salt and Superfoods Print this RecipeAdapted from Jacques Torres (who knows a thing or two about chocolate) and inspired by SpaBettie

Ingredients

11 oz / 300 gr high quality dark chocolate (at least 70%)
Himalayan crystal pink sea salt (coarse)
Blanched almonds
Goji berries
Hemp seeds
Any other add-in to your liking (such pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, dried cranberries, etc.)

Directions

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (a tray or a serving plate will work as well.)
Using a sharp knife, chop the chocolate.
In a bowl set over a saucepan of gently simmering water, heat the chopped chocolate, stirring occasionally, until it is melted; do not let the bowl touch the water and do not overheat.
Remove the bowl from the saucepan and stir the chocolate well.
If you have a candy thermometer the temperature should registers 90°C (195°F). If you don’t have it, like me, just trust your instincts.
Spread onto the prepared baking sheet. Using an offset spatula spread in an even layer to desired thickness (mine was about ¼-inch.)
Sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Add superfoods in an uniform pattern, making sure that each piece of bark is covered.
Using a small spoon, gently press down the superfoods into the chocolate.
Refrigerate the bark for about 20 minutes, until hardened. Invert the bark onto a work surface. Remove the parchment paper, break into pieces and store or serve.
The broken bark can be stored in an airtight bag or container at cool room temperature for up to 10 days.