When citrus is in season, use some of it to create desserts that are not too time consuming and are not taxing on the waistline. If you’re craving sweet after every meal like me, the desserts have to be mindfully crafted such that they not only fulfil the sweet cravings but are decadent, nutritious and easy to make. Chocolate bark is one of my favourite and the easiest foolproof desserts to whip together.
What is chocolate bark?
Chocolate bark is a fine layer of chocolate covering added ingredients like fruits, nuts, cookies, candies, pretzels, dried fruit, or toffee bits that is broken into pieces that resemble tree bark with scruffy edges and random shapes.
This chocolate bark is not to be mistaken for blocks of confectionery coating (compound chocolate made using vegetable oils instead of cocoa butter) that is sold as Almond Bark, Candi Quik, or Candy Coating which is typically called chocolate bark.
Chocolate bark is super easy to make using as little as two ingredients. To make chocolate bark, you completely melt the chocolate, then stir in the add-ons, spread it on a tray, let it chill to harden, then break or cut it into pieces. It’s as easy as that!
The orange chocolate bark occurred to me when everyone was trying the viral chocolate bar. Being a nutritional therapist, I am always calculating nutrition in my head, so the recipe and the food provide the most optimal package of nutrition, ease of cooking, minimal ingredients and cooking techniques. This chocolate bark will give you the complete nutrition of the mandarin and antioxidants of a good quality chocolate. The appearance of the bark itself may not be that appealing but once cut into bite size pieces, the glisten of the mandarin flesh covered with rich dark chocolate make it quite a dessert statement.
A few notes to be aware of while mixing ingredients at different temperatures and of different textures. Jump on to the notes section the recipe to get the tips and hacks for this particular one.
Easy Mandarin Chocolate Bark
Ingredients
- 3 pcs Mandarins
- 80 g 80% Dark Chocolate
- 1 tsp Coconut Oil
Instructions
- Melt the chocolate in the microwave with the coconut oil
- Add the peeled mandarin segments into a bowl.
- Pour the chocolate on top and stir until mandarin segments are coated
- Spread on a plate lined with parchment paper
- Let set in the fridge for 30-45 minutes
- Cut into pieces and enjoy!
Notes
- Can be made a day ahead if planning to serve at a dinner party. Will keep fresh in the fridge for 3 days.
- Use segments of other citrus from the orange family if mandarins are unavailable.
- Ensure the mandarins or whatever citrus you’re using is seedless unless there’s no-fuss people enjoying the dessert. Of course, be extra aware when serving this to young children as we don’t want unexpected bitter solids.
- Keep the mandarins at room temperature otherwise the melted chocolate will start to set after pouring and not give enough time to form the shape of the bark consistently.
- Forming the bark has to be done swiftly while the chocolate is warm and spreadable.
- Lay the bark on parchment paper for the ease of peeling the bark after it is set.
- The recipe is freezer friendly and will keep in freezer for up to a month in an air-tight container.
- The recipe can be adapted to add chopped nuts or freeze-dried berries over the chocolate before it’s set.
- If using a knife to cut the bark into bite size pieces, make sure it’s a sharp one to easily slide through the chocolate and mandarin.
