There are no Reese’s in Turkey. None. Peanut butter? Nope. They have imported a few brands from Europe, but the recipe just aint right – tastes horrible! But it’s okay, there are indeed peanuts, and homemade peanut butter is as easy as 1, 2, 3. But, peanuts are actually not that good for you. Did you know most that you encounter are moldy from storage? The fats in peanuts are pretty sensitive and go bad quickly. Almonds are thus a great alternative. In this recipe I caramelize almonds and pair them with 70% dark chocolate for a match made in heaven.
Almonds: lower LDL (bad) cholesterol, reduce the risk of heart disease, protect against diabetes and cardiovascular disease, have a high antioxidant content, increase flavonoids and vitamin A in the body for heart health, lower the risk of weight gain, and help with energy production.
Almond Butter Dark Chocolate Bark
Keywords: melt freeze dessert vegan vegetarian chocolate almond chocolate bark
Ingredients (Servings vary)
- 1 cup raw almonds
- 1/8 cup honey
- Dash of sea salt
- 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1/2 tbsp honey
- 1 bar of 70% dark chocolate
Instructions
What we have here my friends are 1 cup of raw almonds and 1 bar of chocolate.
Melt the chocolate in a saucepan, being very careful not to burn! You could use a double broiler to ensure this. Once melted, pour half the chocolate onto parchment paper, spreading it out into a 1/4-inch thick layer. It should as thin as the bar was prior to melting, which means it had enough thickness to hold its own when hardened.
Put the chocolate spread into the freezer.
While the chocolate hardens, it’s time to roast the almonds. Spread the almonds over a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Massage 1/8 cup of honey and a dash of sea salt into the almonds until each one is evenly coated. Spread the almonds so that each has its own place on the parchment paper. This will ensure equal roasting.
Broil the almonds in the oven on medium (or low), keeping an eye. This process will only take under 5 minutes, so don’t go anywhere.
My feet hurt from this blue number I’m trying to break in, so you know I stay put.
While the almonds roast, keep a very close eye one them, moving them around with a spatula to brown both sides and prevent burning.
When they are done, they’ll be golden brown. Let them sit until cool.
Along with 1/2 tablespoon of vegetable oil and 1/2 tablespoon of honey, food process the cooled almonds until the mixture sticks together. Be patient – at first it will become mealy but will soon clump.
I doubled the almond butter recipe so I can use the remainder for other things…like my mouth.
Form an almond “patty†with your hand, placing it on the frozen chocolate to cover its area, leaving about 1/2 – 1 inch width from the almond mixture to the edge of the frozen chocolate.
Warm up the remainder of the melted chocolate so that it spreads easily, topping the almond layer evenly, making sure to “seal†the edges so that the melted chocolate meets the frozen chocolate. I made the mistake of using too much chocolate for the base, so learn from me and melt the chocolate in rounds, rather than all at the same time, for perfect measure!
Pop back into the freezer until hardened – about 30 minutes. When it’s ready, crack and snap it, or simply tell yourself 1 (massive) piece=1 serving. I definitely didn’t do that .
Bon Appetit!
xo Aylin