Chocolate Cashew Bark with Cherries, Pineapple and Ginger
People always talk about gaining the ‘freshman 10’ when they went to college. Meaning, time away from home led to gaining 10 pounds during the first year. Unfortunately for me, I had a suite mate who worked in the candy department of the school’s bookstore. Every night she brought home bags of dried fruits and nuts.
I’m sure you can figure out where this story is going. Who knew that dried fruits and nuts could cause the ‘freshman 10’ to arrive within two months of freshman year!
Fast forward and I hardly ever eat dried fruits knowing what a hard time I had stopping. However, recently I discovered delicious chocolate bars with dried fruits and nuts in them. I decided it was time to come to terms with my past and embrace the present.
Making mendiants, which are circular chocolate discs with dried fruits and nuts, was one way to go. Instead, I opted for a slightly different direction, Chocolate Cashew Bark with Cherries, Pineapple and Ginger. I melted chocolate and mixed in some roasted cashews. After transferring the mixture to a baking pan Samuel and I topped it with dried cherries, dried pineapple, crystallized ginger and more roasted cashews.
A quick pop in the freezer to help the chocolate harden and it was time to cut the chocolate into bark. The flavors worked beautifully together but can, easily, be substituted for your favorite dried fruits and nuts.
As for my phobia of eating the whole batch in one sitting, as I used to do with the bags while I was in college, good news. I now know that I can have dried fruit in my house and not eat it all at one time. However, I can’t guarantee the same when it’s in the form of Chocolate Cashew Bark with Cherries, Pineapple and Ginger!
| Chocolate Cashew Bark with Cherries, Pineapple and Ginger | Print |
- 1½ pounds semisweet or bittersweet chocolate
- 10 ounces cashews, roasted
- 3¼ ounces dried cherries
- 2½ ounces dried pineapple, chopped into small to medium size pieces
- 2 ounces crystallized ginger, chopped into small to medium size pieces
- Line a 9" x 13" baking pan with heavy duty aluminum foil and set aside.
- Melt the chocolate and stir in ¾ of the cashews. Pour the chocolate into the prepared pan.
- Top with the remaining cashews as well as the cherries, pineapple and ginger.
- Freeze for 10-15 minutes until the chocolate sets.
- Remove from the freezer. Lift the aluminum foil out of the pan and transfer it to a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to cut the chocolate bark into the shape and size pieces desired.
