White Chocolate Bark With Pistachios & Cranberries

When I learned from my friend, Kendahl, at Our Nourishing Roots that I could make my own chocolate, a whole new universe of possibility opened up.

I mean, who knew it could be so simple – cocoa butter, an unrefined sweetener, and cocoa powder for classic chocolate, or vanilla for the white chocolate? The cocoa butter provides a wonderful profile of healthy fats and the raw honey is both mineral and enzyme rich. Really, folks, this is hardly a junk food, and it is oh-so satisfying!

While I am often dreaming up new chocolate creations, I wanted something festive to both the eyes and taste buds for the holidays.

Pistachios and cherries lend some Christmas cheer to this mildly sweet, homemade white chocolate bark. Pistachios are one of the few nuts that don't do well with soaking (a technique that is necessary in most nuts and grains to remove phytic acid), adding extra convenience to this already easy recipe.

Most dried cranberries will contain sugar, but always look for unsulfered dried fruit, since sulfur dioxide (a preservative) is linked to health risks including asthma, allergies, and even cancer. If you're feeling particularly ambitious, you can certainly dehydrate your own which would give an extra tangy kick.

Whether you make it as a gift or serve it as a simple dessert, this white chocolate bark can be enjoyed well beyond the yuletide.

White chocolate bark ingredients

• 2 cups cocoa butter – buy high quality, food grade cocoa butter here
• 3/4 cup raw honey – buy raw honey and other natural sweeteners here
• Seeds scrape from 1 vanilla bean (optional) – buy whole vanilla beans here
• 1 tsp vanilla extract – buy fair trade & organic vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup shelled pistachios – buy organic pistachios here
• 1/2 cup unsulfurized dried cranberries – buy organic dried cranberries here

White chocolate bark method

1. Prepare a jelly roll (lipped baking pan) with a sheet of parchment paper.
2. Melt the cocoa butter in a double boiler (make this by placing a metal or pyrex bowl over a saucepan of boiling water).
3. When liquid, remove cocoa butter from heat, add the raw honey, vanilla extract, and vanilla seeds and whisk until smooth.
4. Allow to cool in the fridge, whisking frequently and keeping watch until the mixture begins to congeal.
5. Using an immersion blender, blend while the cocoa butter is still soft.
6. You should now have a thick, almost pourable, definitely spreadable chocolate.
7. Stir in the pistachios and cranberries and spread into an even layer on the parchment prepared sheet.
8. Chill in fridge until firm.
9. Cut or break the bark into 1 – 2 inch pieces and serve. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

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