Superfood & Sea Salt Chocolate Bark
Here is a healthy, antioxidant-packed treat that you can really indulge in on Valentine's Day, or any day of the year. Why? Because it tastes like a dream but is also good for you.
I’ve been at many foodie fairs giving out tastes of my Superfood and Sea Salt Chocolate Bark, along with a stylish print-out of the recipe, only to be told by tons of swanky Los Angelenos that they didn’t want the recipe. They want me to make the bark and deliver it their home on a weekly basis, and no one seemed to care what this exclusive service might cost!
It’s hard to pinpoint what makes this chocolate bark so darn good.
Is it the rich dark chocolate melted with virgin coconut oil for a velvety texture that once eaten glides smoothly across your tongue?
Is it that it’s topped with healthy seeds like buckwheat groats (yes they are seeds!) which are not only good for your heart, but provide a pronounced toothy texture? This bark is my version of Nestle Crunch, my favorite chocolate bar when I was a kid, but mine is good for you and so much more delicious.
Is it the sea salt that contrasts the chocolate and gives this bark an addictive quality that has everyone coming back for more?
Is it that it’s not-too-sweet and invigorates your body? We are using dark chocolate, which has some but not too much sugar. However, many chocolate barks add uber-sugary toppings like caramel and candy that make you feel gross afterwards. By using many raw seeds, there is a balance between the sweetness and the protein-rich nutty flavors. You can eat this bark for breakfast. I do!
Or is it that it only takes minutes to make and is impossible to mess up? Beyond that, once you understand the basics of the recipe, you can get creative and top it with whatever you have in the house.
Alas, I haven’t started a chocolate bark delivery company because my job is to empower people to have confidence and be playful in the kitchen. This is an ideal recipe even for the newest of cooks. I hope you have as much fun making it as you will eating it.
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
(Measurements are suggestions...feel free to eyeball, and to multiply the recipe and just sprinkle on the toppings as generously as you like.)
2 70%-85% top-quality dark chocolate bar, 3.5 ounces *See Note
2 Tablespoon coconut oil
2-4 Tablespoons raw buckwheat groats
2-4 Tablespoons raw pumpkin seeds
2 Tablespoon raw sunflower seeds
4 Tablespoons raisins or dried cherries
2 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt
DIRECTIONS
Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. **See Notes
Heat pan on medium heat for a minute or two. In the meantime, break chocolate bar into smaller pieces.
Add coconut oil to pan, followed by the chocolate. Mix together.
When chocolate has JUST melted, remove pan from heat. DO NOT LET IT BURN.
Using a spatula, pour chocolate out onto a parchment paper-covered baking sheet.
Sprinkle buckwheat groats, seeds, raisins, and salt onto the chocolate.
Put baking sheet in freezer for 15-30 minutes.
Once hard, break into pieces and eat!
Store in freezer or fridge.
Notes:
* Use only the best chocoolate. My favorite brands of chocolate are Valrhona, Green and Blacks, and Callebaut (which I buy in bulk online to make heaps of this bark.)
**Don’t know what parchment paper is? Don’t freak out. Just buy it and use it. It is a great tool to keep anything you are baking or roasting on a baking sheet from burning and making a mess.