Mix-and-Match Chocolate Bark
Customize some candy for a friend: Food Network Magazine's DIY recipe leads to 129,600 possibilities!
Step 1: Prepare the Pan
Line a baking sheet with foil, shiny-side up; smooth out the creases.
Step 2: Pick Your Ingredients
Chocolate: 1 pound
- Bittersweet chocolate
- Semisweet chocolate
- White chocolate
- Half bittersweet and half white chocolate (for swirled bark)
Crunchy Toppings: 1/2 cup, chopped
- Almonds
- Walnuts
- Macadamia nuts
- Pecans
- Peanuts
- Pistachios
- Cashews
- Pine nuts
Chewy Toppings: 1/2 cup, chopped
- Dried figs
- Dried apricots
- Dried cherries
- Dried cranberries
- Dried mangoes
- Raisins
- Mini marshmallows
- Candied orange peel
- Crystallized ginger
Spices (optional):
- Red pepper flakes
- Flaky sea salt
- Crushed cardamom seeds
- Toasted fennel seeds
- Crushed pink peppercorns
- Hazelnuts
- Peppermints
- Toffee
- Nut brittle
- Toasted coconut flakes
- Peanut butter chips
- Banana chips
Step 3: Melt the Chocolate
A. Make sure all your tools are dry. Chop the chocolate into 1/2-inch pieces with a large knife. Place all but 1 cup of the chopped chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. (For swirled bark, put all but 1/2 cup of each chocolate in 2 separate bowls.)
B. Microwave 30 seconds, then stir with a rubber spatula. Continue microwaving and stirring at 30-second intervals until melted, 3 to 5 minutes total. (For swirled bark, microwave each chocolate separately at 15-second intervals.)
C. Immediately add the reserved chopped chocolate to the bowl(s); stir vigorously until melted and shiny. Don’t worry if there are a few small unmelted pieces.
Step 4: Spread It Out
Pour the chocolate onto the prepared baking sheet; use the rubber spatula to spread it into a 10-to-12-inch circle, about 1/4 inch thick.
(For swirled bark, pour the 2 chocolates side by side on the baking sheet; use the spatula to swirl them together.)
Step 5: Add Your Toppings
Press your crunchy and chewy toppings into the chocolate, arranging them so each bite has a mix of flavors and textures. Sprinkle with spices, if desired. Let the bark harden completely at room temperature, about 1 hour. (If the room is warm, you may need to freeze the bark for a few minutes.) Break into pieces and store in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 to 2 weeks.
Design your own bark, or try one of our ideas:
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