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Almond Bark with Organic Puffed Quinoa, Dried Michigan Cherries, Vintage Merlot Sea Salt, and Dark Chocolate

Dark chocolate, puffed quinoa, Michigan dried cherries, sliced and toasted California almonds and Merlot sea salt create a visually appealing almond bark that breaks into the perfect pieces for an indulgent snack with a crunch. Created by Chef Richard Cusick on behalf of the Almond Board of California.

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Difficulty

Hard

Ingredients
Serves: Makes 36 pieces
For Bark
  • 4 ½ pounds dark chocolate, cut into chunks
  • 2 ounces organic puffed quinoa
  • 6 ounces Michigan dried cherries
  • 4 ounces sliced blanched California almonds, toasted
  • 1 teaspoon Vintage Merlot sea salt
Preparation
To Temper the Chocolate
  1. Melt 3 pounds of the chocolate in a plastic bowl in 30-second intervals in the microwave until the temperature reaches almost 120 degrees F.
  2. Stir after each 30 seconds.
  3. When the temperature is close to 120 degrees F, lower the cooking time to 15 seconds. Do not overheat the chocolate or it will seize.
  4. Add the remaining 1 ½ pounds chocolate to the bowl and stir until the temperature is 90 degrees F.
For Bark
  1. Stir the quinoa into the tempered chocolate. Quickly top the chocolate with the cherries, almonds, and salt. Let the bark set and break it into pieces.
  2. Spread it on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or an acetate sheet to ¼ inch thick.
  3. Quickly top the chocolate with the cherries, almonds, and salt.
  4. Let the bark set and break it into pieces.
Nutritional Info
Per Serving
NAME AMOUNT
Calories 368
Fat 23 g
Saturated Fat 13 g
Mono Fat 8 g
Poly Fat 1 g
Protein 4 g
Carbohydrates 35 g
Fiber 5 g
Cholesterol 3 mg
Sodium 72 mg
Calcium 45 mg
Magnesium 109 mg
Potassium 362 mg
Vitamin E 1 mg*
* total alpha-tocopherol equivalents
Did you know?

368In addition to almonds being a delicious ingredient in our recipes they’re also heart healthy, gut healthy, and full of vitamins and nutrients - explore Health & Nutrition to learn more. Not only that, almond farmers are dedicated to sustainability - find out how they’re Growing Good.   Created by Chef Christine Farkas of IHeart Food Consulting on behalf of the Almond Board of California. Click here to watch recipe video demonstration.