Chocolate Nut Bark
Photo: Carolina Ayala / Contributor
More than 5000 years ago, the cacao bean was domesticated in present day Ecuador. Even then it was considered a gift from the gods by the Mayans and the Aztecs. By the 1500’s, now believed to be an aphrodisiac and medicine, shipments of cacao to Europe began. The complicated process of turning bitter cacao pods into chocolate evolved over the years. Sweetened chocolate caught on like wildfire in the 18th century and the rest is history. The worldwide love for chocolate has continued to this day.
And given that Valentine’s Day is around the corner, here is a simple chocolate bark with nuts for you to play with. You could turn the bark into clusters or make it in a heart shaped pan. The important thing is buying good dark chocolate with a high percentage of cocoa butter. The more cacao butter in the chocolate, the better it will temper to make the chocolates.