Why should you make this Glazed Almond Bark? Let’s count the reasons . . .
· It calls for Marcona almonds, not regular, run-of-the-mill almonds. Marcona almonds are rounder and plumper with a texture that’s closer to a macadamia nut. They’re deliciously soft and buttery.
· The almonds are glazed with liquefied coconut palm sugar. So basically we take a delicious exotic nut and coat it with sweet love.
· The chocolate is super dark and flavorful. It’s not overly sweet, like milk chocolate, but rich and almost a little bitter. It balances perfectly with the sweetened almonds.
· It’s topped off with a sprinkling of coarse sea salt. Have you ever wondered why salt and sweet taste so good together? Just the right amount of sea salt actually intensifies the sweetness that our taste buds experience. Crazy, but true!
Best. Dessert. Ever.
Note: Store your Glazed Almond Bark in the freezer. This is handy for two reasons: First, you’ll love how fresh and flavorful it stays, and second, it’s much easier to hide stuff in the freezer (under a bag of peas or behind a foil-wrapped casserole) than it is to hide in the pantry (where your kids, spouse, friends, visitors, etc. are bound to paw through for snacks). See, I’ve got you covered.
½ cup coconut palm sugar
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1½ cups Marcona almonds, roasted
3 cups dark chocolate pieces, 72% cocoa
coarse sea salt
Line a rimmed baking sheet that will fit into your freezer with parchment paper and set aside.
In a small skillet, combine the coconut palm sugar and water. Bring to a boil over low heat, stirring often, and cook for about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and mix in the coconut oil.
Put the almonds in a large bowl. Pour the sugar mixture over the almonds and mix until well coated. Spread the almonds over the prepared baking sheet and set aside to cool while you prepare the chocolate.
In a double boiler, melt the chocolate over low heat, mixing until very smooth. Remove from the heat.
Remove one-fourth of the almonds from the baking sheet and set aside, then pour the melted chocolate and the remaining almonds into a large bowl and mix well. (Save that parchment-lined baking sheet!) Once fully combined, spread the chocolate-almond mixture evenly over the lined baking sheet. Sprinkle the reserved almonds over the top along with some coarse sea salt.
Place the tray in the freezer for 20 minutes before breaking the bark into pieces and serving.
Calories: 141
Fat: 9g
Carbohydrates: 14g
Sodium: 76mg
Fiber: 2g
Protein: 3g
Sugar: 12g