Cinnamon and Ancho Chile Chocolate Bark

From Spices Inc.

We love testing recipes that have that 'sweet heat' - they start out sweet then finish with an unexpected, subtle warm heat.  Sweet chocolate, warm cinnamon and smokey Ancho hit the perfect combination. Add tart cranberries, cashews and pistachios and this treat will be the hit of the party! This is a recipe that also makes a great holiday gift!!

Ancho chiles are fruity, sweet, slightly smokey flavor with undertones of plum, raisin, tobacco and a slightly earthy bitterness. We used a good amount, 1 Tablespoon, but you can start with less and add more to your desired level of flavor.

Use high quality chocolate, it really does make a difference. Try to find nuts that are roasted, but not salted. Shelled pistachios will save time as well. There are several ways to melt chocolate, we used a double boiler. Click here for help and tips for melting chocolate.



Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon Ancho Chile Powder
1/2 teaspoon Ground Star Anise
3/4 teaspoon Ground Cloves
1 teaspoon Ceylon Cinnamon Powder
2/3 cup pistachios, shelled and chopped
2/3 cup cashews, chopped
12 ounces dark, bittersweet chocolate, cut into pieces
2 Tablespoons coconut oil
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt (omit if the nuts are salted)
Directions:

In a small bowl, add Ancho Chile Powder, Ground Star Anise, Ground Cloves and Ceylon Cinnamon Powder, mix to combine.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the nuts, cranberries and salt on the baking sheet.
Slowly melt 3/4 of the chocolate, remove from heat.
Add the remaining chocolate and coconut oil to the warm, melted chocolate.
Stir until chocolate and coconut oil are melted and combined
Add the ground spices and stir to combine.
Pour the chocolate onto the pan over the nuts and cranberries in an even layer. Use a spatula to spread the cocolate if needed.
Let cool to room temperature and move the baking pan to the refrigerator for 45 minutes until chocolate is set.
Break into large pieces and serve.
Remaining bark can be stored in the refrigerator.
Serves: 8

Nutritional Information (per serving):

Calories 429.1
Protein  6.6 g
Carbs 32.9 g
Fat 31.2 g
Sat Fat  15.5 g
Trans Fat  0.0 g
Fiber  5.9 g
Sodium 140.8 mg
Sugars 18.7 g

Easy microwave almond toffee

This recipe comes from my favorite Irish band, Colcannon, out of Colorado.

Recipe: Almond Toffee
Here's one more quick recipe, back by popular demand. Note: a few folks who tried this last year found that they had to shorten the timing a bit from what's listed here. (I think most modern microwaves may have a lot more "horsepower" than the old one we use.) It's all about getting the sugar to caramelize to the right extent so you get that crunchy but not burned toffee-ness.

I make many, many batches of this every year at Christmas with the intention of giving it as gifts, but a good portion of it never leaves the house...

You do it all in the microwave, and it’s dead easy. Here’s how it goes:

12 tbsp butter (that’s a stick and a half; use regular salted butter, not unsalted)
1 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1 cup coarsely chopped raw almonds
a third to a half cup of chocolate chips (I like the dark chocolate)

Line a pan of approximately 8x8 inches with foil (you need this ready ahead of time)
Put the sugar and butter in a biggish microwaveable bowl.
Microwave on high for 3 minutes, then whisk it until it’s blended.
Back in the microwave it goes, this time for 4 minutes.
Now stir in the almonds and pop it back in the micro.
Cook it about 2-4 minutes more. This is where the timing gets a little tricky. In my oven, which is not super powerful, it takes about three more minutes- you may have to experiment.
Using a spatula, pour it into the foil lined pan.
Sprinkle the chocolate chips over it. When they’ve melted, spread the chocolate evenly with a spatula. You might want to save a few chopped almonds to sprinkle on the top.
Now the hard part: let it cool

That’s it. The only tricky bit is getting the timing so that the texture comes out right. But even if you’re a little off on that it will still taste great.
Enjoy!