Cranberry Orange Dark Chocolate Bark
Recently I purchased a chocolate bar & I thought "I could totally make this". I was right! This cranberry orange dark chocolate bark tastes just as amazing and is super simple to make. Perfect for holiday gifting or a party.
Servings 8 servings
Ingredients
- One pound gluten free dark chocolate
- One teaspoon orange flavoring extract or oil
- ⅔ cup dried cranberries
- Zest from one clementine or orange or satsuma
Instructions
Items Needed:
- A Sheet Pan
- Parchment Paper
- Scissors
- One medium pot
- One medium heat-safe bowl
- A spatula
- A pot holder or oven mitt
- A measuring spoon
Directions:
- Take a sheet pan out and cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the sheet pan, leaving enough extra to hang over the sides of the pan.
- Place about an inch of water in a medium pot on the stove and turn heat to medium. Heat until water is nearly boiling, but not quite.
- Break chocolate into small pieces (if not using chocolate chips) and place in heat-safe medium-sized bowl.
- Place bowl over pot to create a double boiler. You can also place bowl in the water, just make sure no water splashes into the chocolate.
- With a spatula, stir the chocolate as it melts, making sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl so no chocolate burns.
- As the chocolate is melting, measure the orange flavoring with a measuring spoon and pour it into the bowl slowly, stirring continuously. If chocolate starts to seize or get grainy, keep stirring to incorporate.
- Once the flavoring is blended into the chocolate, take the bowl out of the pot using a potholder or oven mitt and scrape the chocolate onto the parchment paper using the spatula.
- Spread the chocolate into an even layer about one-quarter inch thick. To remove any lines from spreading, gently shake the pan back and forth to settle the chocolate.
- Take the cranberries and sprinkle them onto the chocolate in an even layer.
- Using the microplane, grate the zest of a clementine (or orange or satsuma, whatever you have) and sprinkle the zest onto the chocolate. It can help to zest a bit, then tap the fruit on the microplane to get the zest to fall off as it tends to stick together a bit. Make sure not to scrape the pith (or white part) of the peel, as that will be bitter.
- Once you’re finished zesting, place the pan in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes to harden. Once it’s hard to the touch, it can be broken up and placed in a bag or container to keep in the fridge.
Notes
Notes:
*Melting chocolate can be tricky. It needs to be stirred nearly continuously and kept an eye on.
*Be careful if you’re using orange extract. Adding liquid to chocolate can sometimes cause it to seize and get grainy or clump together. Your best bet is to use an extract with oil in it – or just orange oil. That tends to incorporate better.
*This recipe is very versatile and can be adjusted to suit your tastes. You can use more or less cranberries, or add in extras like chopped nuts, coconut, or salt.
*Don’t keep your bark in the freezer for too long! It will start to get freezer burn on the top if you do. I wouldn’t go longer than 30 or so minutes, just to be on the safe side.
*Melting chocolate can be tricky. It needs to be stirred nearly continuously and kept an eye on.
*Be careful if you’re using orange extract. Adding liquid to chocolate can sometimes cause it to seize and get grainy or clump together. Your best bet is to use an extract with oil in it – or just orange oil. That tends to incorporate better.
*This recipe is very versatile and can be adjusted to suit your tastes. You can use more or less cranberries, or add in extras like chopped nuts, coconut, or salt.
*Don’t keep your bark in the freezer for too long! It will start to get freezer burn on the top if you do. I wouldn’t go longer than 30 or so minutes, just to be on the safe side.