DISCLAIMER: This post was developed in sponsored partnership with COOKINA, however, as always, all opinions are genuine.
This Ginger, Cranberry & Pistachio Dark Chocolate Bark recipe could not be simpler and is also very adaptable depending on your friends’ palates or what you have on hand.
I love gift giving. But I also love eating and paying for rent and buying new boots when last year’s pair grow holes, and when you live in a city like Toronto, that all costs a lot of dough.
The great news is that gift giving doesn’t have to be expensive and in a world of token ties and mediocre bottles of wine, everyone loves an edible homemade gift. Homemade gifts mean that you not only put thought into what to give your loved one, but you actually put a lot of effort in as well. Plus, edible gifts like this chocolate bark insinuate that eating is involved, and I’m always down to eat.
How to Make Dark Chocolate Bark
This Ginger, Cranberry & Pistachio Dark Chocolate Bark recipe could not be simpler and is also very adaptable depending on your friends’ palates or what you have on hand.
To make a chocolate bark, all you need to do is finely chop up a bunch of good quality chocolate bars (I use a 70% dark chocolate for the added antioxidants and reduced sugar), melt it down in a low heat oven and top it with lots of sweet goodies. Let it set in the fridge or freezer (if you’re impatient) until solid and then break up into little pieces!
I used a combination of candied ginger, cranberries, pistachios and ginger snaps in my chocolate bark to keep in line with the holiday season, but feel free to use whatever combination of dried fruit, nuts, seeds, candies or cookies you have on hand!
As you can image, this chocolate bark recipe has the potential to be very…very messy and a pain to pry off an old baking sheet. So this tip is important- do not attempt this recipe without a nonstick mat. I use COOKINA Cuisine Reusable Baking Sheets. They’re made with a durable PFOA-free material called PTFE that is actually used in medical procedures by surgeons inside the body so you know it’s safe to be cooking with. I use them for all of my holiday baking because they’re completely nonstick, reversible, and customizable to whatever size baking sheet or dish you have. For example, I have a bunch of slightly different baking sheet sizes, so I just cut the 150 cm roll to fit each one.
You then can just lift the COOKINA off of the baking sheet, and easily peel it away from the chocolate bark. No need to get out the old ice pick or ruin your pans with a knife- this really could not be simpler.
I also recommend using a COOKINA GARD Oven Protector on the bottom of your oven to protect it from any little spills of liquid chocolate. Trust me, no one wants to have to crawl in there to scrub stuck on candy. Like the baking sheet, it’s also nonstick and customizable so it will fit any oven.
The bark slides right off!
Since so many of our friends and family will likely be baking and cooking this season (turkey grease is notorious for causing messes), these COOKINA products would make beautiful stocking stuffers alongside your homemade chocolate bark.
What flavour combo would you use on your chocolate bark? What’s your favourite edible treat to get or receive? Leave me a message below or tweet to me using the hashtag #COOKINAHoliday and I will try to lighten up your version!
Ginger, Cranberry & Pistachio Dark Chocolate Bark
Ingredients
- 500 g 70-85% dark chocolate finely chopped
- 100 g white chocolate finely chopped
- 6 ginger snap cookies broken into small pieces
- 1/3 cup naturally sweetened cranberries
- 1/4 cup pistachios
- 3 pieces candied ginger finely minced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 250 F.
- Cut a COOKINA Cuisine Reusable Baking Sheet to slightly hang over the sides of your baking pan.
- Cut a COOKINA GARD Oven Protector to fit the bottom of your oven to protect it from spills.
- Place the chopped dark chocolate on the COOKINA Cuisine Reusable Baking Sheet on the baking pan and put in the oven. Put the white chocolate in an oven safe dish and add to the oven. Allow the chocolate to melt slowly, checking every minute to make sure it doesn’t over cook and stirring it gently throughout. This should take no more than 3-4 minutes.
- Once melted, smooth out the dark chocolate to evenly coat the COOKINA Cuisine Reusable Baking Sheet, then use a fork to drizzle the white chocolate over the dark chocolate.
- Sprinkle the cookies, cranberries, pistachios and candied ginger around the chocolate until adequately covered. You can gently press down on some of the nuts and cookies to make sure they sink down to the bottom a bit.
- Transfer to the fridge for an hour, or the freezer for about 15 minutes, or until the chocolate if fully set and cold.
- When set, peel the chocolate off of the COOKINA Cuisine Reusable Baking Sheet, break into pieces and transfer to gift bags or boxes. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Disclaimer: This recipe was developed in paid partnership with COOKINA, however, as always, all opinions are genuine.
Abbey Sharp is a Registered Dietitian (RD), regulated by the Ontario College of Dietitians. She is a mom, YouTuber, Blogger, award winning cookbook author, media coach specializing in food and nutrition influencers, and a frequent contributor to national publications like Healthline and on national broadcast TV shows.
Sara says
such a great snack!