Dark Chocolate Bark

Satisfy your sweet tooth or treat your sweetie with this easy dark chocolate bark!

Oh, sugar. I just love you so much, but hate you at the same time. I’m a sucker for anything sweet, especially chocolate. While I have no problem indulging in dessert every so often, there are times when I let my sweet tooth take over and I end up eating ten cookies or an entire chocolate bar, leaving me feeling sick to my stomach.

Whole30 has helped with my sweet tooth significantly, allowing me to control myself and have only a small amount of chocolate to be satisfied. It’s not healthy to completely restrict yourself from something like sweets, because you end up craving it and bingeing. My suggestion? Eat your best the majority of the time, but allow yourself to indulge in something you love. Whether that’s a salty snack or a healthier dessert, like this dark chocolate bark.

Now, I’m definitely not saying this bark is healthy, but it’s healthier. It’s made with dark chocolate and any toppings of your choice. I usually add coconut and some type of dried fruit, like cranberries or goji berries.

I’m in no way a registered dietician or nutritionist, but I’ve done quite a bit of research on chocolate (because I love it so much) and have learned a lot about cacao vs cocoa. It can be confusing to know the difference between the two, especially because the words look almost identical.

I explained the difference between cacao and cocoa in my dark chocolate covered strawberries post, so instead of trying to write it over and explain it differently, I figured I’d just give you the lowdown again. Basically, cacao is the rawest form of chocolate—right after it comes out of the pod off the tree—whereas cocoa is what you get after roasting and processing those beans. A lot of processing and additives go into making cocoa, so cacao is the healthier choice and the most common forms you’ll find at the store include nibs and powder.

Cacao nibs and powder don’t taste quite as sweet as a bag of chocolate chips, but they still add some sweetness to any dessert. Some benefits of cacao include high levels of antioxidants, fatty acids, fiber, iron, copper, zinc, magnesium and calcium. It can help lower blood pressure, promote cardiovascular function and improve digestion. Remember, though, this is BEFORE it is processed into cocoa.

When buying dark chocolate, the greater the percentage of cacao, the darker and better for you it is. Make sure the chocolate says “cacao” after the percentage. There have been times when I think I get a chocolate bar that is 80% cacao, but then I get home from the store and find it actually says “80% cocoa.” You can find 100% cacao dark chocolate, but it gets bitterer the higher the percentage, so it depends on your preference of dark chocolate. I usually get these Ghirardelli 60% cacao chocolate chips or 86% cacao chocolate bar.

When I studied abroad in Florence, Italy, my junior year of college, I was definitely exposed to a lot of different delicious forms of chocolate. First of all, GELATO. I would almost always get dark chocolate gelato and sometimes add a scoop of pistachio, too.

There was actually a Lindt store just a couple blocks away from my apartment that I walked past almost every day on my way to class. It had bins and bins full of all the truffles I could ever want. Talk about temptation! Then, the chocolate festival. Florence has this massive chocolate festival each February with any type of chocolate you could ever imagine. Pretty sure I was in a chocolate overdose after that week. I actually wrote about the festival on a Florence blog here.

Besides Florence, I traveled to other cities and countries. When visiting Perugia, Italy, on a class trip, we toured the Perugina chocolate factory and got to see how they make and package products… and sampled our weight in chocolate. Finally, I took a weekend trip to Switzerland, where I got my fill of cheese and chocolate. We actually went to this cute little shop called the Funky Chocolate Club, where we learned about and sampled alll the chocolate.

So yeah, my love of chocolate is definitely strong. I occasionally struggle to control my sweet tooth, but I have gotten better at it over time, and you can too! Whether you’re just looking for a healthier dessert for yourself, a treat for your sweetie, or something simple to take to a party or dinner, this dark chocolate bark is a must-try.

Dark Chocolate Bark

From The Small Town Foodie at https://www.thesmalltownfoodie.com/dark-chocolate-bark/

http://www.thesmalltownfoodie.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/DarkChocolateBark2small.png

Prep: 5m

Cook: 30m

Total: 0h 35m

Satisfy your sweet tooth or treat your sweetie with this easy dark chocolate bark!

You'll Need...

• 10 ounces dark chocolate, bar or chips
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• Toppings of choice

Directions

1. Add chocolate and coconut oil to a glass bowl, breaking apart chocolate if using a bar.
2. Microwave for 1 minute, then stir.
3. Continue to microwave for 20 second increments, stirring after each, until chocolate is completely melted.
4. Spread melted chocolate evenly on a parchment paper covered cookie sheet.
5. Add toppings, such as nuts, coconut flakes, or dried fruit (no sugar added, if possible).
6. Freeze for about 30 minutes, or until chocolate is completely solid.
7. Break or cut chocolate into pieces (whatever size you desire).

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