You’re looking for satisfaction without calories. Something you can reach for in a fit of hunger say mid-afternoon or mid-this minute. Something that makes you ignore the Dulce de LecheHäagen-Dazs who whispers your name from the freezer as if whispers don’t affect thighs. Something that makes you feel like you’ve had a real treat, one you deserved because that thing at work just got worse and those kids at home, well they just got worse. Let me introduce you to seeded, salted chocolate that you make in a nano-second and horde at the back of the refrigerator so they others can’t find it.
Why not just a chocolate bar you ask? Well…
You know how caramels were perhaps the most perfect bite of dessert on the planet? Then someone came along and fairy dusted them with sea salt and our tastebuds went into cardiac arrest. This is the same thing. Dark chocolate is delicious in its own right and remember good for your brain muscle – if you ate more dark chocolate I wouldn’t have to remind you of this fact. The mixture of toasted nutty-like seeds, sea salt and chocolate brings about an flavor elevation that rivals the savory umami satisfaction if umami existed in sweets – hey where’s that word?
Give it a whirl if for no other reason than to say, hey I made some candy. You’ll love it!
seeded dark chocolate bark
preptime – 15 minutes, chill 1 hour makes 8 piece servings
- *1/4 cup raw shelled pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
- 2 tablespoons hemp seeds
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon flaky sea salt or kosher salt
- 8 ounces chopped bittersweet chocolate (at least 70% cacao)
*ingredients available in bulk at Whole Foods. Omit those you can’t find.
- Heat a dry skillet over medium-high heat; add pepitas. Toast, stirring occasionally, until the pumpkin seeds first start to pop, about 1 minute. Pour seeds into a bowl.
- Toast hemp seeds in the same skillet over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until fragrant and just starting to turn a pale straw gold, about 45 seconds. Add to bowl with pepitas.
- Toast sesame seeds in the same skillet over medium-high heat until fragrant and just starting to turn golden, about 45 seconds. Add to bowl with other seeds.
- Add salt; toss to combine.
- Place chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at 50% power for 1 minute. Stir; continue cooking in 30-second bursts, stirring after each, until chocolate is melted.
- Pour melted chocolate onto a parchment paper–lined baking sheet (use wax paper or even foil); smooth out into a thin even layer (it will not cover the entire sheet pan).
- Evenly sprinkle seed mixture over chocolate.
- For fast setting, place baking sheet in refrigerator for one hour. Or let stand at room temperature until set, 2 hours or more.
- Break into 8 pieces (chocolate may be soft, depending on brand used). Store airtight in refrigerator. Let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes, if desired, before eating.
recipe adapted from Bon Appetit and provided by your friends at crunchtimefood.com
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