Pied Chocolate Bark

Remember how Mr P. and I went foraging for wild macadamias a while back? Remember how I said I would do something healthy with them like make nut milk?  Well folks, that didn't happen and this is not that recipe.  Instead, I made this double whammy pied chocolate bark.  That's pied as in black and white, like a butcherbird or a zebra, not your classic Aussie meat pie.  

I've made versions of this bark before, but this time I wanted to use the nuts that have been staring at me from their bowl for way too long.  Alas, this was not to be.  My dears, they were as hard as granite and just as impenetrable. Everyone in the family had a go with hammers and lumps of wood; we even resorted to The Bonk - that super strong nutcracker made especially for macadamias, but to no avail.  They resisted all efforts to reveal their delicious nutty selves.    

not even The Bonk could crack these babies  

Never one to let a slight setback stop me making a dish, I rushed off to the local grocer's to buy some of the little devils.  Guess what!  I found our local store in the midst of renos, and the nut bar (is that what you call it?) moved to another spot.  When I finally found it, the macadamia tub was empty. Aarrgghh!  I ran around the shelves and found a packet of macadamia halves.  Sorry to tell you these are not the little wild beauties we foraged, but even so, this still tastes fantastic.   

gather your nuts...on a cold and frosty morning etc. 

    


ingredients:


125g. macadamia halves, or nuts that you chop yourself :=)

200g. white chocolate

200g. dark (or milk) chocolate

a small handful (about 20g.) of semi-dried sour cherries or dried cranberries - you want something tart to combat the sweetness

a scattering of cacao nibs (optional)

a few pinches of sea salt flakes, or to taste - I like a lot!


Method:


First roast your nuts - @ 170C for 10-12 minutes

Melt the white chocolate in the microwave for 70 seconds

Give it a good stir and let it rest for a couple of minutes

On a tray lined with baking paper, spread out the chocolate to the edges of the tray

Before it sets, throw on the nuts, the sour cherries, the nibs and the sea salt flakes

Let that sit for an hour or 2 till the chocolate goes hard

Then melt the dark chocolate in a Pyrex jug for 77 seconds or thereabouts

Cool it for a minute then pour it over the white chocolate slab

Let it set then break up into delicious shards

spread the chocolate over the paper

throw on the nuts 

scatter the cherries, salt and nibs 

melted dark choc about to be poured over the slab of white choc   

dark choc poured over  

arrr me hearties!  grab that cutlass and chop:=)  

my nutty doodle