Hello! We are excited to be guest posting as a great Kansas duo, Chef Alli and From the Land of Kansas. Our focus is to introduce you to Kansas agriculture and bring Kansas ingredients to your table.
We wanted to create an easy-to-make holiday treat that can also make a great gift. It only takes a few ingredients and not much time. Follow these few simple steps to create Dark Chocolate Bark with nuts, cherries and Sunny Seeds.
Ingredients:
9 oz. of dark chocolate chopped. We recommend Kansas-based Cocoa Dolce Artisan Chocolate. High quality and great tasting
1 cup dried sour cherries, coarsely chopped
1 ½ cups roasted cashews or nuts
Holiday or favorite color of Sunny Seeds from Kansas-based Sunflower Food Company for decoration
It’s important to start by chopping the nuts and cherries so they are ready to go once the chocolate is melted. Next line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium glass bowl, heat chopped chocolate in the microwave on high power in 30-second bursts, stirring each time to keep from scorching, until chocolate is completely melted. Stir chocolate until smooth; add the walnuts and cherries and stir until all ingredients are coated. Spread mixture onto the parchment paper, creating an 8 x 12 rectangle. Before bark begins to set up, sprinkle sunny seeds over the top; refrigerate for 15 minutes or until firm enough to break apart. Bark can be kept in an airtight container in refrigeration for up to 2 weeks. Bark is best served at room temperature.
After you’ve cooled your bark we recommend wrapping it up for a great hostess gift with an inexpensive decorative bowl you can find at your local craft store and cellophane. Don’t forget that tulle is a great partner when making gift baskets as it holds up to being shuttled around and still looks beautiful.
Thanks for letting us join you this holiday season. For more easy-to-make but delicious recipes featuring Kansas products, check out our blog at FromtheLandofKansas.com/Blog.
