Dark chocolate & Almond Bark with Sea Salt
This is a perfect recipe to make to give as gifts and I’ve added it to my series called Edible Gifts.
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There’s nothing here for you, my heart said.
Like with each Diwali I spend away from home, as I have over the past 15 years, I’ve grown accustomed to the dull ache that consumes me, stealthily, but surely like the tip of your thumb pierced by a large thorn on a rosebush. Nothing that needs emergency treatment or that a little plaster won’t fix, but annoyingly present.
The Diwalis we’ve managed to get together with my family over the last few years, while nothing like the celebrations I remember as a child, have been reaffirming, joyous get togethers replacing that longing with what must be fulfillment. Waking up the next day to a Pietermaritzburg sky-line hazy with smoke from the night’s fireworks displays, eating nutty, caramelly blocks of channa magaj and drinking glasses of milk with banana and honey will always be filed away as some of the most beautiful memories I have of time spent with my family.
Sometimes the best things are far from perfect. That awful, cloying fog of air pollution, for example.
Diwali arrived mid-week this year, with no pomp or celebration. Another working day. The end of an early morning call to my mother was replaced by the dull ache I’ve grown accustomed to. Well, it shouldn’t take me by surprise, but it always does. My father was away in Port Elizabeth and returned home that night. We really were a family separated by physical distance this year.
No boxes of sweetmeats, the aroma of ghee sizzling on the stove, oil massages followed by ritual baths and proud displays of new clothes.
I replaced the ache with the quickest sweet I could make. White chocolate rose truffles with salted macadamia centres, dusted with cocoa and this Dark Chocolate & Almond Bark with Sea Salt. It’s a grown up combination of flavours, the roasted almonds and beautiful salt off set the semi-sweet chocolate. Really easy to make too. It could never replace a Diwali with my family. But it helped ease the pain a little.
Ingredients
400 g semi-sweet dark chocolate (60% – 72% cacoa solids)
100 g raw almonds, roasted
Fleur de Sel (I still love Maldon)
Method
Melt the chocolate in a bowl suspended over a bowl of boiling water, stirring to melt.
Line a baking tray with baking parchment (preferably not wax paper but baking paper)
In a pestle and mortar bash the almonds slightly till they break up. It’s good to have almonds of different sizes – some powder, some whole chunks.
Spread the melted chocolate over the parchment paper on the tray with a spatula or metal palette knife.
Sprinkle almonds and salt to taste over.
Chill in the fridge, until set – takes 8- 10 minutes.
Peel the paper away from the chocolate, carefully.
Break up the chocolate into pieces of “bark” – need not be even in size.
Sprinkle a little more salt on top and enjoy.
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Love it! 🙂 And finally something lazy me can do 🙂
3 ingredients, 12 min max- how can you go wrong? 🙂
It’s always a bummer to spend important holidays away from loved ones! But chocolate is always a nice consolation–this bark looks terrific!
Thanks Felicia. Always a slightly tender time.
Its always hard to be away from loved ones and family during the holidays Ishay and I can imagine how that would feel. Love the chocolate (always good for anything!!)
Hey Simone. yip – chocolate to cure all ills 😉
Ishay,
I can feel your heartache. Being separated from family was the reason I moved back home. Once the children came along I could not stand it. I am sure the chocolate eases the pain but I know where you would rather be. Hugs to you my dear and best of luck with the vote. You are already a winner in my book xx
thank you Mona, kind and lovely words.
Wish we stayed close sistah…i do miss those non-stop fireworks and the noise and the pollution…but everything else from oil bath to sweets to new clothes i still make it a point to do :-)Luckily it was bonfire night that weekend so loved the fireworks…Missed my family though :-)..We should celebrate diwali once together
Hi Arti! A good idea indeed, as is our shopping trip together to India someday. We can dream and plan, right? Your Diwali sounds lovely x
It is so sorry that families can not always be together to celebrate special days like these!! The recipe sounds fabulous and I love your pics!!
Hello Z. hope you’re well. Thanks – chocolate is a nice thing to take pics of 😉
Yep, it did ease the pain a little! Thanks for the treats, at least I could share those Diwali memories with you.
hey Mel. I know you understand x
I love chocolate barks, last year I made 4 types and this year I am looking for new recipes . This looks great.
Hello there. I had a look at your variety of choc bark- lovely!
Just finished making some… haha 😉 besos!
Awesome!!! you are ‘cooking’ then 😉 Show us a pic xx