Marble Almond Bark

I have been making this marble almond bark for years, and am so happy to be passing on this easy and glamorous recipe to you!  It is incredibly impressive to add to your cookie platters or to package up in a clear bag with some pretty ribbon for a hostess gift!

Now, as easy as this is, there are a couple of lessons that I had to learn the hard way.  For example, patience is a virtue.  Ok, I’m still learning that one.  Do NOT overheat your chocolate.  I have done this so many times.  The second lesson that I learned is that you need to be SO careful about not letting any water, including steam, into your chocolate mixture.  It will cause the chocolate to seize which has happened to me so many times.  There is nothing more frustrating than visiting your chocolate bark the next day and seeing these little oily spots and dry looking surface covering your chocolate.  Seriously.

If you follow the instructions, placing your chocolate over hot but not boiling water and making sure that you take it off of the heat as soon it is melted, you should be good.  Another tip I received is to use a metal stirring spoon versus a wooden one that can retain moisture.  The coconut oil helps prevent the mixture from seizing.  Ok, I said this was easy, right!?

Happy Holidays my friends!

Ingredients:

• 1.5 lb. good quality semi-sweet chocolate chunks or discs
• 1.5 lb. good quality white chocolate chunks or discs
• 2 Tbsp. coconut oil
• 4 cups almonds

Directions:

1. Bring two medium saucepans 1/2 full of water to a simmer.
2. Heat the oven to 350F.  Toast the almonds on a baking sheet until just fragrant, about 15 minutes.  Set aside to cool.
3. Prepare two 9×13″ baking sheets with parchment paper.
4. Place 3/4 of each of the white and semi-sweet chocolate chunks or discs in two separate glass or stainless steel bowls, add 1 Tbsp. of the coconut oil to each bowl,  and place the bowls over the water.  Be sure that the water is hot but not boiling.
5. Stir the chocolate with a metal spoon until just melted.  Quickly add the remaining chocolate to each bowl cool down the respective chocolate mixtures, remove from the heat, and stir until the remaining chocolate is melted.
6. Stir 1/2 of the almonds into each bowl of chocolate.
7. Ladle piles of the white chocolate mixture in an odd pattern over each parchment-lined baking sheet, and fill in the gaps in between the white chocolate piles with the semi-sweet chocolate mixture.  It can be messy!  Just be sure that the chocolate is touching.
8. Take a knife and drag it through the piles of chocolate to create a marble or swirl pattern.
9. Place in the refrigerator for 20 minutes to set, and store at room temperature until it is fully set and ready to break.
10. Break apart and serve!