Chocolate

I Chocolate

Just in time for Valentine's Day, this fruit-and-nut bark satisfies your sweet tooth, and it's healthier than your average heart-shaped box of chocolates, too.

One of the great joys of cooking is the realization that, in your own kitchen, you have the opportunity to overcome the culinary injustices of this world. For instance, a potpie can finally have enough chicken inside to be considered a serving of protein. You can put pignolia nuts onto the tops and into the bottoms of your cookies. Tacos can actually be made with real beef instead of with a textured soy product. Pork and beans can have visible signs of meat - and so on.

One of my favorite flavor combinations has always been chocolate with nuts. It may have started with my first box of Goobers at the movie theater and gone from there. But the ratio of nuts to chocolate, especially in the chocolate almond bars, always struck me as a little stingy. As I grew older, I started branching out to gourmet chocolates with hazelnuts, cashews and even macadamia nuts. What wonderful, guilty pleasures. And now I find out that nuts and chocolate are both powerhouses of vitamins, phytochemicals and anti-oxidants. My favorite treats have been transformed into health food. Well, sort of.

So this Valentine's Day I can treat my sweetie to a delicious and "healthy" gift of fruit-and-nut chocolate bark that will right the wrongs of all previous chocolate bars.

Fruit-and-Nut Bark
Ingredients: 1 pound semisweet chocolate, finely chopped 1 pound cashews (lightly salted) 1 cup dried cherries, chopped 1 cup thin pretzel sticks, chopped	Instructions: Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler or in a microwave. Don't allow the chocolate to get too hot. Keep stirring until it is smooth and just melted. Add in all the other ingredients and stir until they are all covered in chocolate. Cover a sheet pan with parchment paper and pour out the mixture. Smooth out with a spatula to a thickness of 1/4 inch. Once the chocolate has hardened, you can break it into chunks for serving or to put into gift packages. Feel free to use your own favorite flavor combinations such as raisins and peanuts, toasted almonds and coconut, macadamia nuts and chopped, candied pineapple or even a teaspoon of pure chili powder and toasted pepita seeds.
Chocolate Pots de Crème
Ingredients: 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped 3 egg yolks 2 tablespoons sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla 1/4 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup half-and-half Garnish: Sweetened whipped cream Chopped toasted almonds	Instructions: Put all ingredients except the half-and-half into a blender and run on high until the chocolate is finely chopped and everything is well-mixed. Heat the half-and-half until it is almost to the boiling point. With the blender on low speed, slowly pour in the milk and blend until smooth, around 1 minute. Pour into six 2-ounce pot-de-crème cups or small demitasse cups. Cool and then cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkling of chopped nuts. More Recipes Printer Friendly Page