Dark Chocolate Bark With Almonds & Blueberries

This post is sponsored by Blue Diamond Almonds.

 

Are there any chocolate fans in the house?

The recipe I’m sharing with you today has to be one of my all time favs. It’s super chocolaty and absolutely drool-worthy!

I was sent two bags of flavored almonds from my friends at Blue Diamond this month, and the combination of sea salt and dark chocolate instantly made me think of chocolate bark.

I probably could have gone the caramel route, but I wanted to stick to a dark chocolate and fruity flavor instead. While browsing online for inspiration, I came across this Dark Chocolate Bark with Toasted Almonds and Dried Cranberries recipe from Williams-Sonoma.

It looked too delicious to mess with!

So, I substituted a mouthwatering combination of flavors for the almonds and went to town.

 

(Recipe closely followed from Williams-Sonoma):

 

Ingredients

8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1/3 cup almonds, toasted and chopped

(I used a mixture of Blue Diamond Sea Salt & Blue Diamond Dark Chocolate)

1/4 cup dried blueberries

 

servings: 12 oz. (serves about 4)

 

Directions

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

2. On the stovetop, melt chocolate in a double boiler. If you don’t have one, set a heatproof bowl over or in a pan (or skillet) of simmering water. (See picture below.) Stir occasionally while chocolate is melting until the mixture is smooth. Be patient, as this can take 15-20 minutes! Remove from heat.

3. Stir the almonds and blueberries into the melted chocolate. Using a heatproof rubber spatula, scrape the mixture onto the baking sheet and spread out to about a 1/4 inch thickness.

4. Place the tray in the refrigerator for about two hours, or until bark is completely firm. Break or cut into chunks. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a month!

 

This three (well, four if you count the two bags of almonds) ingredient recipe would be a great dessert to bring to a party, or snack to pass out to co-workers and friends around the holidays. Each bite is decadently rich in flavor, and a little bit certainly goes a long way.

For an extra crispy crunch, make sure to toast your almonds beforehand! Simply place them on a baking sheet and bake in the oven at 300°F for about 15-20 minutes.

While you’re toasting the almonds, you can go ahead and melt the chocolate. The easy way would be to put it in a double boiler, but don’t stress if you don’t have one.

You can find them on the cheap at most major retailers or department stores (or online , , or ), but if you aren’t planning on investing any time soon, here’s my personal trick:

Grab a heatproof bowl (or stainless steel bowl from your mixer … ha!) and put it in a large skillet to simmer over hot water.

Stir it occasionally until it melts, and be patient!

After your almonds are ready to come out of the oven, let them cool for a couple of minutes before chopping them. I grabbed the sea salt almonds first in order to let the coating on the dark chocolate almonds harden to avoid making a mess.

Remove the melted chocolate from the heat and stir in the almonds and dried blueberries. Spread the mixture onto a baking sheet (lined with wax or parchment paper) and refrigerate for at least two hours.

When the bark is fully hardened, cut or break it into pieces and enjoy!

Make sure to keep the bark in an air tight container, and store it in the refrigerator for extra freshness.

I hope you like this recipe as much as I do!

 

Disclaimer: While I was compensated for this post, all opinions on product remain my own. I have a slight love affair with Blue Diamond Almonds (especially the chocolate flavors!), so I am truly grateful for this ongoing partnership and hope you enjoy the recipes I feature while teaming up with them. As always, I truly appreciate your support surrounding this and any sponsored posts that support this blog. <3