Bark! 12/21/2009
 
This is the second year I've made my chocolate bark with pralines and cherries. My friends made truffles and we tucked the sweets in holiday goodie bags tied with a festive bow for guests at a Christmas party.  

Whenever I try a new recipe, I'll jot down notes and comments: "less salt" "cook longer" "more sweetener" etc. Boy, was I glad when I saw the note I scribbed from last year:

"Once the chocolate is melted, pour it fast and thin...the chocolate gets hard quick and makes spreading impossible!"  See more tips at the end of the recipe. 

It came out pretty good if I do say so myself.
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Three Chocolate Bark with Spiced Pecans and Dried Cherries

Recipe Courtesy of Emeril Lagasse
Prep Time: 45 min Inactive Prep Time: -- Cook Time: 2 hr 0 min Level:
-- Serves:
4 pounds of bark Ingredients
7 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 cups pecan pieces
Salt
Cayenne
Pinch of nutmeg
Pinch of cinnamon
1 pound semisweet chocolate, cut into pieces
1 pound milk chocolate, cut into pieces
1 pound white chocolate, cut into pieces
2 cups dried cherries, rehydrated and chopped
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In a large saute pan, melt 4 tablespoons of butter.

Add the brown sugar and stir until the sugar dissolves and is bubbly. Add the pecans.

Season the pecans with salt, cayenne, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the sugar starts to caramelize and coat the pecans evenly. Cook for about 4 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and spread the pecans over a parchment lined baking sheet. Place the pan in the oven and roast the pecans for about 6 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and cool completely. Break the pecans into small pieces. Fill three small saucepans half way up the pan with water. Place the pans over medium heat and bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. In three separate mixing bowls, add each type of chips into the individual bowls. Place the bowls over the saucepans. After about 2 minutes over the heat the chocolate will start to melt. Stir each chocolate until totally melted. Remove the chocolate from heat and stir 1 tablespoon of butter into each bowl of chocolate. Pour each type of chocolate over the marble or a large parchment lined baking sheet. Sprinkle the pecans and cherries over the chocolates. Using a metal spatula, spread the mixture out evenly back and forth to about 1/4-inch thick. Either place the marble in the refrigerator or allow to sit out until set, about a couple of hours. Break the bark into medium pieces and serve.

AnaMaria's Tips:
Get the best quality chocolate you can.
Make sure and spread quickly.
Make the bark THIN.. if it's too thick it's hard to break.
 


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