This Bark Really is Worth the Bite!
Dark Chocolate Quinoa Raspberry Bark.
Think Chocolate Nonpareils!
Those little bites of chocolate with bursts of crunchy sweet bits…this Dark Chocolate Quinoa Raspberry Bark is a healthier version and oh so fun to make!
Ingredients
- 1 10 oz bag of 60% or more cacao Dark Chocolate Chips or 2 cups
- 1/4 cup White Quinoa, uncooked
- 2 Tbsp. Turbinado Sugar or other large crystal sugar
- 1/2 cup, before crushed, Freeze Dried Raspberries or other berries
Equipment
- Cast iron skillet or other non-stick skillets
- Parchment lined baking sheet
- Microwave safe bowl
- Plastic zip lock bag
- Spoon
- Spatula
- Refrigerator
This recipe might look a little involved but it really is simple and oh SO worth it!!
Instructions
Prepping Quinoa
First, line a large cookie sheet or a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Next, put your skillet on the stove over medium heat and add the quinoa and sugar.
Stir constantly with your spatula or spoon until the sugar melts and the overall color is a golden amber color.
(Tip! Adjust your heat as you go if it seems quinoa is getting too brown yet the sugar is not all melted.)
The minute that the sugar melts and the color changes, move the skillet off of the heat and pour the mixture onto the parchment-lined baking sheet. Spread the candied quinoa out lightly on the sheet and allow it to cool. This will all happen really fast!
Melting The Chocolate
While the quinoa mixture is cooling, place the chocolate chips into a microwave-safe bowl.
Yay! We’re going to melt the chocolate now!
Put the chocolate in the microwave for one increment of 30 seconds, to begin with.
Take the bowl out and stir the chocolate. It will not be all melted yet, don’t worry!!
Put it back in the microwave for 10 seconds at a time, stirring after each time.
It seems like a lot and you might need to do this five times but it will keep your chocolate from scorching. It goes really quickly.
You definitely don’t want to get to this point and have your chocolate scorched!
Once the chocolate is all melted and velvety take it over to your workspace.
Combining Quinoa And Chocolate
The quinoa should be cool by now and you will crunch it up with your fingers into little pieces.
Reserve half of the candied quinoa and set it aside.
Pour the other half of the candied quinoa right into the melted chocolate and stir.
Now, place your freeze-dried raspberries into a Ziploc bag and crush them into a powder using the back of a cup or your hands.
Pour half of the crushed raspberries into the melted chocolate and stir.
Pour the chocolate raspberry quinoa mixture onto the parchment-lined baking sheet and spread it out into a thin layer with your spatula.
Finishing It Out
Remember, this is chocolate bark so it should be thin and bite-sized.
Once your chocolate is all spread out to your desired thickness, sprinkle on the reserved candied quinoa and then the freeze-dried raspberries.
Press down lightly with your hands over the entire bark.
Place the beautiful bark into the refrigerator to cool for about 15 to 20 minutes.
Take your beautiful creation out of the refrigerator and break it into bite-size pieces. Either serve or place in an airtight container in the refrigerator to store for up to two weeks. Is that even a possibility? This is so delicious that I doubt anyone can leave it in their refrigerator for two weeks!
This bark really is worth the bite!!
For more Chocolate Melting fun check out my KY3 Chocolate Cherry Balls segment.