The peanut butter cup gets a new look.
For a dessert, I often take walnuts, drizzle them with honey, add a few chocolate chips and call it a night. I then got to thinking how such a combo would work as a variation of the classic peanut butter cup, only deconstructed. This recipe does just that. It glorifies my makeshift dessert into something a bit more crave-worthy and gourmet. It’s also super easy!
Walnuts are the star of this desert. Almonds are garnering a lot of spotlight these days, and for good reason, but walnuts deserve some stage time too. In fact, walnuts contain nearly twice the amount of antioxidants than the same portion of any other nut. Walnuts also contribute to heart health, reduce the risk of certain types of cancer, prevent Type 2 diabetes and are packed with protein and fiber.
I use 70-percent dark chocolate in this recipe to minimize sugar content, but you could go ahead and use any chocolate you’d like.
Honey Walnut Butter Chocolate Bark
Ingredients:
- 200 grams dark chocolate (about 2 bars)
- 2 cups walnuts
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- Dash of sea salt
Recipe:
Melt your favorite dark chocolate in a saucepan over low heat. Continuously mix the chocolate to break down the pieces. Be careful not to burn the chocolate.
Pour half the melted chocolate onto parchment paper. Spread until it forms an eighth-inch thick piece and put it into the freezer to harden. Set aside the other half of the melted chocolate for later use.
While the chocolate firms up in the freezer, spread the walnuts on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and drizzle evenly with honey.
Pop into a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for approximately 12 minutes, or until the walnuts just begin to brown. Stay near the oven to prevent the walnuts from burning.
When finished, remove the walnuts and let them cool for a few minutes before placing them into a food processor to blend. When blending, standby as the walnuts turn from chunky to grainy. Once mealy like flour, add the sea salt and cinnamon. Continue to process until smooth but clumpy. Be patient – it will form butter. When it is complete, you should be able to shape the walnut butter with your hands.
Remove the chocolate from the freezer and, keeping about 1/2-inch in from the edge of the chocolate, place an even layer of the walnut butter atop the chocolate. You will have to pat down the walnut butter between your hands before placing onto the chocolate, as it’s too thick to be spreadable.
Pour the rest of the melted chocolate atop the walnut butter, sealing the edges.
Place the bark back into the freezer one last time to harden for another 10 minutes. When finished, break the bark into chunks for sharing (or not)!
Enjoy!
Aylin Erman currently resides in Istanbul and is creator of plant-based recipe website GlowKitchen.