Fruit and Nut Chocolate Bark

I try, I mean I REALLY try to eat a healthy diet about 90% of the time… but, there is this issue I have with sweets.  I don’t limit myself to candy a few times a year like most reasonable people…  I limit myself to chocolate a few times a month (ok, a WEEK!),  it’s a problem but honestly I don’t care.  Chocolate Bark is one of the easiest treats to pull together and this one has fruit and nuts in it, so it’s practically health food.

We have all seen the peppermint bark for sale around the holidays.  Why limit yourself to peppermint and why limit this deliciousness to only the holidays?   While we’re on the topic, why pay $20 a pound when you can double that amount for half the price?

This treat is perfect for those times when you want a little something (which for me, is always), but you just don’t feel like turning on the oven, or getting the big stand mixer out, or cleaning up a huge mess (does anyone ever want to clean up a big mess?!).   During the summer months, I’m especially inclined to make something that allows me to have my sweet fix without having a 400 degree box of heat cranking in the kitchen.

The best thing about a  (dare I call it a)  “recipe” like this is the room for creativity.  If you don’t like pistachios, swap them out for something else…  You want more fruit?  Throw it in!  Do you like a little spice?  Put a pinch in to the melted chocolate!  The possibilities with this are limitless.  Add chopped up bits of pretzel for added crunch and a bit of saltiness, or tailor them to a specific holiday:  pink and red candies for Valentine’s Day,  green mix-ins for St. Patrick’s Day,  bits of green & red or peppermint for Christmas, etc.

I don’t really need an excuse for candy (if you hadn’t noticed) and neither do kids.  Do you have one or two of them hanging around bugging you that they are:  Ugh… bored?!   To be perfectly honest with you,  I can’t begin to conceive how kids could possibly be bored considering all that is available to them, but I digress…  If in fact, that is the case,  making a batch of this delicious stuff is sure to be an antidote to boredom and did I mention:  it’s candy.

Get out the sheet pans and make yourself a little something sweet!

Chocolate Bark

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Easy Chocolate Bark

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 3 hours

Total Time 3 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 lb. good quality chocolate, semi-sweet, bittersweet or milk
• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup chopped pistachios
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries

Instructions

1. Line a small sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
2. Melt chocolate (either in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water or in the microwave) and spread melted over the parchment/silicone mat.
3. Sprinkle fruit, chips and nuts over the melted chocolate.
4. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until set. Chop or break into small pieces.