Chocolate Walnuts Basic Bark - easy and simple recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why is my chocolate bark not hardening? ›

That's because your chocolate wasn't tempered. Tempered chocolate sets at room temperature and has a snap just like a chocolate bar you buy from the store.

Use a cheat if you don't want to temper chocolate.

Most chocolatiers and candymakers recommend tempering chocolate for bark because it gives chocolate a beautifully glossy finish and a satisfying, clean snap when broken. It also sets up more quickly and keeps longer at room temperature.

Chocolate Bark is the easiest 5-ingredient snack you'll ever whip up. All you need are 5 simple (and completely customizable!) ingredients – chocolate, pepitas, dried cherries, coconut flakes, and any type of nuts.

If you store your chocolate bark in an airtight container in the pantry, it will keep well for up to 2 weeks. During the summer (or if you live in a warm climate), place chocolate bark in the fridge to prevent it from melting. What other toppings could be used on chocolate bark? The possibilities are endless!

Spread the melted chocolate on parchment paper, roll it up and let it cool down, once hardened, roll out the parchment paper and it automatically breaks into tree bark looking pieces.

Use a sharp knife or bench scraper to create clean lines. You can go for traditional rectangular shapes or get creative with various shapes and sizes. Gently press the knife or bench scraper into the chocolate and apply even pressure to cut through the bark. Wipe the blade clean after each cut to ensure neat edges.

Coconut oil is the secret to achieving a super-shiny chocolate coating. It brings a little extra luster to melted chocolate, which, on its own, can become matte when dry. Not only does coconut oil make your chocolate coating shine, but it also helps the chocolate harden.

Chocolate Tempering

Proper “tempering”—heating and cooling chocolate to stabilize it for making candies and confections—gives chocolate a smooth and glossy finish, keeps it from easily melting on your fingers, and allows it to set up beautifully for dipped and chocolate-covered treats.

The objective in tempering is to arrange the physical “packing” of stable cocoa butter crystals in the right number and size. The three critical variables that affect the type, size, and number of cocoa butter crystals being formed during chocolate tempering are: temperature, time, and agitation.

If chocolate is not tempered properly, the cocoa butter crystallization is uncontrolled and uneven, resulting in a dull, streaky appearance. Untempered chocolate may feel rough or tacky with an almost chewy texture and is more susceptible to melting in hand.

How to stop chocolate bark from melting? ›

To keep your chocolate bark from melting, a proper tempering process is necessary. Tempering is a process where the chocolate is brought to certain temperatures, which essentially optimizes the form of the cocoa butter fat crystals and keeps it stable.

Once the chocolate has cooled, it's then cut up or broken into smaller pieces. It's easy to see, then, why the most commonly accepted origin of chocolate "bark" comes from the fact that the treat, when finished, resembles the craggy surface of a tree.

The white appearance is due to a process known as 'blooming' - either 'fat bloom'. This occurs when the cocoa butter in the chocolate separates and rises to the surface due to temperature fluctuations, or 'sugar bloom', which happens when the sugar in the chocolate absorbs moisture and then crystallises on the surface.

Tips for Making the Best Peppermint Bark

You can also pick up the baking pan and tip it to help the chocolate slide around. Why are my layers separating? You may have chilled the layers for too long. Only refrigerate the bottom and middle layer for 10–15 minutes before spreading the next layer on top.

If you melt the chocolate and work with it without tempering, it will take a long time to set up, will not be shiny, and won't snap; rather, it may be flexible, dull and brittle.

Cellophane bags, kraft boxes or any kind of pastry box is perfect. You can arrange it on a pretty tray for a gift that lasts after the bark is finished. And if you want to go “extra” you can keep the bark in the pan and tie a chocolate breaking hammer to the pan with a ribbon so the recipients can have at it!

A: Almond bark can be used as a coating instead of milk chocolate, but if chocolate is the predominant flavor, you might be disappointed.

Here is a list of the best ingredient substitutions for this easy, no-bake dark chocolate almond bark: Chocolate Choice: Try milk or white chocolate instead of dark. Coconut Oil: Use butter or vegan butter.

It is true purchased chocolate bark is made with tempered chocolate—that's why the surface looks shiny, the bark keeps well at room temperature, and it snaps nicely when you bite or break it. And I know tempering is a skill many home cooks don't have or don't have patience to learn.

If kept unopened in a cool, dry place, chocolate bark can last up to a year. Once you've opened the package, aim to consume it within a few months.

How long does it take bark to harden? ›

Let it firm up

If room temperature is quite warm, it may take up to 2 hours. Fridge – Refrigerate for about 20 minutes, to harden. Don't leave too long or excess condensation will build up, and the bark may absorb off flavors. Freezer – Freeze for 5 minutes until firm.

Use room temperature strawberries and DRY THEM really well.

Take the strawberries out of the fridge 15-30 minutes before dipping them. Wash them and gently dry them all over with a paper towel. You want to make sure they're very dry, otherwise the chocolate won't set on them properly.

Chocolate seizes when it comes into contact with even a small amount of liquid or moisture during the melting process. This is because the water causes the sugar in the chocolate to dissolve and then form a syrup, which binds the cocoa particles together, creating a grainy, thick, and clumpy texture.