White Chocolate Cherry Almond Bark

I don’t think bark should be a holiday food. It’s chocolate, nuts, and dried fruit—what’s holiday-like about that?! That sounds like anytime food to me. So feel free to make this whenever you feel like.

This is an actually an old recipe from my archives. Last time I made it I wasn’t happy with the photos so I thought I’d give it another post, not that I need much convincing when chocolate’s involved. I love white chocolate but don’t buy it very often. It’s much better at pairing with other flavors than just on its own.

The tart cherries and unsweet almonds help to curb the sweetness of the white chocolate, and the dark chocolate on the bottom adds a bit of bitterness to the mix. Altogether it’s a winning combination.

You can use sliced, crushed, or slivered almonds—whatever you have. Also feel free to swap in cherry flavored craisins if you get to the store and realize you don’t feel like paying more for dried cherries; you’d be in good company.

White Chocolate Cherry Almond Bark

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound white chocolate
• 1/2 pound semi-sweet or bitter-sweet chocolate
• 1/2 cup sweetened or unsweetened dried cherries
• 1/2 cup shaved almonds

Method:

1. Start by melting either the white or dark chocolate—whichever you want to be the base of the bark(I started with the white)—in a microwave or over a double boiler. Melt until completely smooth.
2. Lay the chocolate out in a thin layer on a non-stick surface like wax paper.
3. Melt the other chocolate and carefully spread it on top of the first layer, gently swirling the two together with a utensil.
4. Sprinkle on the cherries and the almonds all over the chocolate and press them in lightly with your hand.
5. Freeze the chocolate for about 20 minutes until it has completely hardened.
6. With a sharp knife, cut the chocolate into unequal pieces. Store for up to 2 weeks.