Dark Chocolate Bark with Candied Orange Peel

This Dark Chocolate Bark with pistachios, candied orange peel, dried cranberries and flaky sea salt makes an excellent edible gift or a great tasting dessert!

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I absolutely love dark chocolate! Pretty much any form will do - chips, sauce, mousse - it all works for me. When I was testing this recipe, I decided to put a bunch of my favorite flavors together in this chocolate bark. Homemade chocolate bark is really easy to make - it just takes some really high-quality chocolate, your favorite toppings and a little bit of patience while you wait for it cool enough so you can eat it!

My preference for chocolate is a really dark, rich chocolate which you can find at Whole Foods or other high-end grocery stores. There are also many varieties available online so experiment until you find your favorite!

In addition to being a bit hit at holiday gatherings, this bark also makes a great edible holiday gift!!

How to Make Chocolate Bark

It's quite easy to make chocolate bark. There are just a couple of steps involved.

Now, before you scroll down to the cooking time and panic, the majority of the time required for this recipe is the time needed for the candied orange peel to "dry" and the bark to cool until it is hard enough to break into pieces. If possible, I recommend making the candied orange peel the day before.   

Make the Candied Orange Peel

To make the candied peels score the orange peel into quarters and then remove the peel from the orange. Then combine water and orange peels and bring it up to a boil. Then repeat the process a couple of times to take the bitterness out of the peels.

After that, you combine water and sugar and cook until the sugar is dissolved, then add the orange peels and let them cook for about 45 minutes. Remove them from the pan and let them cool and dry on a rack for several hours.

After the peels are done cooking, I'd also recommend saving the leftover syrup as you basically have orange-flavored simple syrup, which is great in hot tea in the winter. The syrup will keep in the refrigerator for about two weeks.

Make the Bark

To make the bark, add the chocolate chips and butter to a microwave safe bowl and heat for 30 seconds. Stir them and then heat for an additional 30 seconds. Repeat this process, stirring after each 30 seconds of heating, until you have a smooth chocolate mixture. This should take three to four rounds of 30-second heating.

Once the chocolate is melted, use a wooden spoon or curved silicone spatula to spread it out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. You want the bark to be about ¼ inch thick. Add the chopped orange peel, pistachios and dried cranberries. You can also sprinkle it with a bit of flaky sea salt if you like.

Put the bark in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes to let it start setting. Then take it out of the fridge and let it sit at room temperature until it's fully set. This will take an hour or two depending on the humidity levels where you live and the exact type of chocolate you used.

Once the bark is set, break it into pieces. If it bends when you try to break it, then it's not quite ready yet! I like to make the pieces random sized, some small some larger. You can serve it immediately or keep it in an airtight container for several days.

If you want more ideas for chocolate desserts, check out this Espresso Pot de Creme, these Peppermint Brownies and these Orange Crisps with Dark Chocolate Drizzle.

Dark Chocolate Bark with Candied Orange Peel

Author: Kathryn | Urban Foodie Kitchen

This Dark Chocolate Bark with pistachios, candied orange peel and flaky sea salt makes an excellent edible gift or a great tasting dessert!

5 from 3 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 4 hours hrs

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Set Time 2 hours hrs

Total Time 6 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Course Dessert, Sweets

Cuisine Continental

Servings 30 pieces

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 2 navel oranges
• 1 cup sugar
• 16 ounces semi sweet chocolate chips
• ½ cup shelled pistachios
• ½ cup dried cranberries
• ½ tablespoon unsalted butter
• ½ tablespoon coarse or flaked sea salt, optional

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

 

For the candied orange peel:

• Rinse the oranges well and cut the top and bottom off of each orange. Score the skin of each orange into quarters; peel the oranges, keeping the pith with the peel. Cut the peel into thin strips, about ¼ inch wide.
• Place peels in a sauté pan, cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Let them boil for 5 minutes. Drain and repeat two more times.
• While the peels are boiling, whisk together sugar and ½ cup water. Pour into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook 5-6 minutes until sugar is dissolved. Add peels and return to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until peels are very soft and translucent, about 45 minutes. Don't stir the peels while cooking as it can cause the sugar to crystalize; swirl the pan if necessary.
• Remove the peels from the syrup and place on a drying rack. Dry for 4-5 hours. If desired, reserve any remaining syrup.
• When dried, chop orange peel into small pieces; you'll need about ¼ cup for the recipe. Reserve remaining candied peels for another use; store in airtight container.

For the bark:

• Place 8 ounces of the chips and butter in a medium heat-safe bowl. Place the bowl over a saucepan filled with about 2 inches of water; bring to a simmer over medium heat. Keep the water at a gentle simmer, don't boil.
• Stir the chips until melted and smooth. Add the remaining chocolate about 2 ounces at a time, stirring until smooth after each addition.
• Remove the bowl from the pan and wipe the sides of any excess moisture. Pour chocolate onto a jelly roll pan lined with parchment paper; use a curved spatula to smooth the mixture to about ¼ inch thick. Add pistachios and dried cranberries; lightly press into chocolate. Add candied orange peel. If desired, sprinkle with sea salt.
• Place in refrigerator for 15-20 minutes to set; continue cooling at room temperature until the bark is fully set. Break into pieces and store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Notes

The number of pieces you end up with will vary depending on how large or small you break the pieces of chocolate. I break it randomly, so the pieces vary in size. That method should easily yield you 28 to 36 pieces.

Nutrition

Serving: 1oz

Keywords : chocolate, holiday gifts

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