Dark-Chocolate Bark with Walnuts and Dried Cherries

• Recipe by Grace Parisi

Beauty Guru Bobbi Brown finds that a small piece of bittersweet chocolate is the perfect indulgence. Not only is dark chocolate full of antioxidants, it is mood enhancing in its own right. This recipe, from F&W’s Grace Parisi, gets an extra boost from walnuts (an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids) and dried cherries (high in fiber and minerals).

Ingredients

1. 1 1/2 cups walnut halves (6 ounces)
2. 9 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
3. 1 cup dried sour cherries (4 ounces), coarsely chopped
4. 2 tablespoons finely chopped crystallized ginger

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Spread the walnuts on a baking sheet and toast for 8 minutes, or until golden and fragrant. Let cool, then coarsely chop.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper. In a glass bowl, heat two-thirds of the chocolate in a microwave oven at high power in 30-second bursts until just melted. Stir until smooth. Add the remaining chocolate and stir until melted. Stir in the walnuts, cherries and crystallized ginger until evenly coated. Scrape the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and spread it into a 12-by-8-inch rectangle. Refrigerate for 10 minutes, or until firm enough to cut.
3. Cut the bark into 48 pieces (6 rows by 8 rows) and transfer to a plate. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Make Ahead

The bark can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days or refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.

Notes

One Piece 57 cal, 4 gm fat, 1.0 gm saturated fat, 6 gm carb, 0.7 gm fiber.

When melting chocolate in a microwave oven, be sure to give the chocolate a quick stir between each 30-second burst to prevent it from scorching.