♫ Love is in the air. ♫
I am not the romantic type, so instead of going all hearts, flowers and heavy petting on your glutes, I want to talk about chocolate covered strawberries today, specifically some small, albeit pretty significant, problems with those suckers. For starters, there is glaring logistical issues. You know what I’m talking about right? I call it “The Crumble,” where your first bite is also your last, because once you take the plunge and sink your molars into that succulent berry covered in hardened chocolate, it cracks and ultimately crumbles, sending its chocolate shell tumbling to the ground. This is chocolate abuse of the worst kind and should not be tolerated.
Also, while it may be easy to make biting into a whole strawberry look sexy, especially if you have pouty lips, it’s certainly more challenging biting into a chocolate covered strawberry, even more so once The Crumble sets in. At that point, no one is gazing adoringly into anybody’s eyes. Instead, the focus is on the cluster of chocolate pieces now on the ground or in your freshly cleaned sheets. Hey, I don’t judge, although I do hope you have clean sheets for the occasion.
I, being a morally upright citizen (cough, cough), have come up with a solution to this problem: Dark Chocolate Raspberry Almond Bark. It’s already broken into pieces, and you still get the full on fruity chocolate effect, maybe even more with this delightful treat. This dessert is designed to break apart naturally and easily without losing bits of chocolate to the abyss, eliminating the need to call Chocolate Services altogether. Also, it involves raspberries which let’s be honest are way sexier than it’s larger and more bumbling counterpart. They’re my favorite too, so I might be just a smidge biased.
With only four ingredients total, this recipe is so simple and straightforward, even Oscar can make it, and he’s my cat. All you need is a stove, some fridge time, and you’re golden. It really couldn’t be any easier, which is what you ultimately want on Valentine’s Day. The easy part that is, the chocolate is just a bonus.
The beauty of this recipe is the use of fresh or frozen raspberries, as opposed to dried. You get the refreshing burst of fruit, without the dangers of the chocolate covered strawberry. The bitterness of the dark chocolate is offset by the sweetness of the raspberries. Toss in a few grains of sea salt, and you’ve suddenly got a musical number playing out in your mouth. How’s that for Valentine’s Day action? Wait, it gets better. The fourth and final ingredient is a handful of sliced almonds, which adds density and texture, giving each bite the perfect amount of chew and satisfaction.
The last point I want to make is this dessert is full of nutritional goodness by way of each and every ingredient. It’s packed with anti-oxidants, contains a good dose of vitamins and minerals, and a fair amount of fiber. More importantly, all four of the ingredients come with a laundry list of health benefits, from reducing the risk of heart attack, lowering bad cholesterol, helping prevent cancer, improving blood flow, nourishing the nervous system and boosting brain activity to name just a few. As a bonus, this dessert is vegan, gluten-free and maybe a whole bunch of other fancy buzz words. I can’t be certain, although I do know the flavor profile is on point.
Healthy should always tastes this good.
- 10 ounces dark chocolate*
- 5 ounces Raspberries, chopped.
- 1/4 cup blanched unsalted Almonds, sliced thinly.
- Sea Salt, to taste
- Melt chocolate in a small saucepan over medium to low heat, stirring frequently until just melted.
- Stir your raspberries and almonds into the chocolate along with a few grains of sea salt.**
- Pour and then spread your chocolate mixture onto a cookie sheet, lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle a touch more sea salt on top and refrigerate for at least four hours and up to overnight.
- *I'm a fan of the Enjoy Life brand, which are dairy, nut, and soy free.
- *For the sea salt, I gave my salt grinder three generous cranks, which makes it difficult to give an exact measurement. I'd start with a sprinkle, taste test your chocolate and add more if necessary.
I guess it would be silly of me not to admit that my favorite chocolate/fruit combo is chocolate and strawberries. But I really don’t discriminate when it comes to chocolate- it really pairs well with just about anything 🙂
AJ @ NutriFitMama recently posted…Thinking Out Loud and Chocolate Drunken Strawberries
I actually love chocolate covered strawberries. They are messy, but it’ll never stop me from eating them. In fact, I’ll eat pretty much any dessert where fruit is involved.
Meghan recently posted…Recipe: Dark Chocolate Raspberry Almond Bark with Sea Salt
I can handle 4 things. This recipe wins all the love. I’d have to lean with chocolate and strawberry as the best combo though. Raspberries work too!
Chris recently posted…Should I Scale Or Rx This Wod? – Part One
Yep, four easy and nutritious ingredients. Doesn’t get much better than that. I also am fairly confident it would work with strawberries. You’ll just want to dice them up a little finer.
Meghan recently posted…Recipe: Dark Chocolate Raspberry Almond Bark with Sea Salt
Screw men, I want you as my Valentine, Meg ;)! I don’t know what I’m “Oh My’ing” about more- how delicious this looks or how easy it sounds. Either way I need to try this out ASAP (although with strawberries instead as raspberries aren’t available here)- I’m especially loving the sea salt addition. As for my favourite chocolate & fruit pairing- tough question but I think I’m going to have to go with bananas & chocolate…even better if nuts are involved (TWSS?)!
Khushboo recently posted…6 ways to optimise heart health
You could totally be my Valentine. I’m sure the Hubby won’t mind.
I bet strawberries would work great in this recipe too. If you try it out, let me know so I can pass along the info.
Bananas forever!
Meghan recently posted…Recipe: Dark Chocolate Raspberry Almond Bark with Sea Salt
I usually shamelessly eat the chocolate off the strawberries and leave the fruit. I’m pretty brutal. I’m incurable.
Suzy recently posted…When It’s Not Hugh Grant
And see, the strawberry is my favorite part. That’s fruit abuse right there. I’m going to report you to the proper authorities. 🙂
Meghan recently posted…Recipe: Dark Chocolate Raspberry Almond Bark with Sea Salt
oh how i love me some bark! this looks absolutely delectable. i love chocolate and rasberry, i really can’t think of a better berry + chocolate or fruit combo.. unless we can use coconut. but not just any coconut, i like coconut manna. i’m so picky, i know this. but oh i love coconut manna and dark chocolate… sing to me sweet foods!
my personal solution to those pesky crumbs are to make truffles (or procure truffles.)the perfect ones don’t crumble, they stay soft, supple, yet firm… hehehehe. yeah but really, truffles are the bomb diggity. i’m still searching for the unicorn of truffles – it involves cacao, cacao nibs, coconut products, macca, and almond butter. so cliche i know but whatever! jajajaja.
most romantic thing i’ve ever done…. hmmmm. i’m not very romantic, so this requires me going WAY out of my cool and crips comfort zone. when my hubbs was painting the kitchen and took off a week from work, i made him his favorite onion quiche, some veggie enchilada casseroles, and salmon cakes so he could fuel his workmanship. food is one of my love languages i suppose. i feed you if i like you. sometimes. but don’t expect it or no soup for you.
happy dayzzzzzzies!
I think you could use coconut just fine in here. You might want to add a bit of sweetness though in some other manner to cut the bitterness of the dark chocolate.
My romance language is food too. Also, I want to try this onion quiche and veggie enchilada casserole.
Meghan recently posted…Recipe: Dark Chocolate Raspberry Almond Bark with Sea Salt
My favorite chocolate and fruit combo is sea salt caramels and dark chocolate. I don’t care if there’s no other fruit there–it’s what I like.
Now this recipe? Terrific idea, looks awesome too. I admit I’ve never eaten chocolate dipped strawberries in bed, but I can imagine the resulting damage. I have the Poison Control Center # on the fridge, but not Chocolate Services. I’d better play it safe.
You may make this for me and deliver it, now that I’m high falutin’ and all.
Kirsten recently posted…Taco Turnip Tamale Pie (Stretching Meat Part 4)
Yeah, caramels are pretty fantastic. I’ll give you that. In fact, I ate an entire bag of the weekend, to the point where my teeth from the sugar consumption. Oops.
Rose petals are dangerous in bed as well. They stain the sheets.
I’ll deliver this only if you promise to give me your autograph Ms. Fancy pants.
Meghan recently posted…Recipe: Dark Chocolate Raspberry Almond Bark with Sea Salt
Yes, a practical food!! I am so not an elegant eater, really got to work on that one.
Chocolate and salt are a match made in heaven in my books, kinda like cherries and chocolate. Or banana and chocolate, that’s pretty good too!
Pip {Cherries & Chisme} recently posted…Guilty as charged
Bananas rolled in chocolate and then dipped in nuts is the bomb.com.
Meghan recently posted…Recipe: Dark Chocolate Raspberry Almond Bark with Sea Salt
I made chocolate fondue for the first Valentine’s Day after I got married using the fondue set from our registry. I count that as romantic! ha. I love chocolate dipped fruit, especially an arrangement from Edible Arrangements. I attack it all.
meredith @ The Cookie ChRUNicles recently posted…Coffee Makes Us Kinder People & Other Thoughts
Yes, the Edible Arrangements are fantastic. One of my favorite deliveries right there. Next to shoes, of course.
Meghan recently posted…Recipe: Dark Chocolate Raspberry Almond Bark with Sea Salt
Good call on this recipe! I’m not a big fan of chocolate covered strawberries either. There’s the messiness factor, and also the fact that chocolate covered strawberries (at least the ones you buy) are always made with really bland, flavourless strawberries. I much prefer juicy in season strawberries – and those ones are too delicious to cover with chocolate anyway!
This bark though? Yum! Totally on board with this.
Chelsea @ Chelsea’s Healthy Kitchen recently posted…Vegan Jamoca Almond Fudge Cookies
This time of year, you can’t get good strawberries. They’re not in season, although strawberries frozen in their prime would work in this recipe since it’s getting stirred right into the melted chocolate. I have a bunch in my freezer. Maybe I should test it out. I could share with you.
Meghan recently posted…Recipe: Dark Chocolate Raspberry Almond Bark with Sea Salt
Ooh this is an intriguing combination! So many decadent chocolate recipes floating around the blogosphere right now, but I’m not actually much of a sweet tooth. I have all the ingredients for this except the chocolate!
Most romantic thing I’ve ever done…hmm, there was that one time I moved to Malaysia for this guy…
That’s a pretty romantic thing. You win!!
Meghan recently posted…Recipe: Dark Chocolate Raspberry Almond Bark with Sea Salt
LOL. I legit just asked the same question in my own post today (which I have no answer to- Well, I do- White chocolate and raspberry).
I love bark because it crumbles and is one of the few foods which look disgustingly beautiful like that.
Oscar needs to guest post on here.
Arman @ thebigmansworld recently posted…Healthy No Bake White Chocolate Raspberry Protein Cookies
I’ll talk to Oscar and see what I can arrange.
Meghan recently posted…In A Perfect World
Do chocolate covered raisins count as a pairing? Because those used to be my kryptonite. Like I would legit eat them until they made me sick 😆 And if that doesn’t count, then chocolate and bananas hold the key to my heart. Also, you basically nailed why I’m not the biggest fan of chocolate covered strawberries. That and I find the chocolate to fruit ratio WAY off. Too much fruit, not enough cocoa.
Amanda @ .running with spoons. recently posted…. s’mores truffles .
I actually like the fruit to cocoa ratio in chocolate covered strawberries, but that’s because I’d rather have the fruit. Yes, when it comes to desserts, I like fruit better than chocolate. Gasp! I said it.
Meghan recently posted…In A Perfect World
Honestly? I’m surprised/disappointed /shocked (?) you’re trying to sell us on the papairing of raspberries and chocolate here. Where are the bananas? Or: where is Meghan? I don’t know you anymore. ..
Okay, I’ll take that as a sign of you not discriminating any fruit and yes, raspberries fit better colour-wise. Whatever, I’ll take chocolate any way it’s served. The day we meet I want to have chocolate fondue – with berries and bananas. Oh, and my surprise favourite: pears.
Miss Polkadot recently posted…Good good links #78
Raspberries are my one true fruit love. They’ll always be my favorite, although my wallet and the kinky side of me prefers bananas.
Pears are fantastic too, especially paired with blue cheese and toasted walnuts. That combo is flavor heaven. You should do it.
Meghan recently posted…In A Perfect World
My favorite pairing would have to be chocolate and wine (wine’s a fruit, right?). If not I used to love dark chocolate dipped orange slices as a kiddo.
This looks sinful and sexy and all those other wonderful adjectives that you want with your chocolate, now where’s my piece?
Wine is totally a fruit. In fact, maybe I need to start working on my fruit quota for the day. It’s noon somewhere. 😉
I will happily share my bark with you. C’mon on over, bring the fruit (i.e. wine).
Meghan recently posted…In A Perfect World
Fab dish, it’s on my shortlist for a feature. Cheers
Thanks Carole. I appreciate that.
This looks so creamy and dreamy.
Thank you!
Could frozen raspberries be used?
Yes, you can use frozen or fresh raspberries!