Let’s get festive in the kitchen with this dark chocolate bark.  Anyone who knows me, knows that I love chocolate, especially the dark stuff.  I often say, get the darkest chocolate you can stand.  65 percent cocao or more is a good bet! When it comes to holiday time, I love adding nuts, dried fruit, coconut and crushed peppermint sticks.  It’s a blank slate.

The best part about bark is you can give it as holiday gifts to neighbors, family and friends.  Just put it in small gift boxes or bags tied with a bow and you’re all set.  This one is super simple to make, it’s just three ingredients:

• Dark chocolate chips

• Pistachios

• Dried cranberries, unsweetened (if you can find them)

This bark is nourishing, too.  The dark chocolate is jam-packed with powerful cocao flavanols or antioxidants.  (Plus, there is less saturated fat and sugar in dark chocolate.)  The pistachios are a powerhouse of plant proteins with 6 grams per ounce (49 shelled pistachios), 3 grams of fiber and and 7 grams of heart-healthy monounsaturated fat.  The dried cranberries (unsweetened) are low in calories and carbs  and contain vitamin C, fiber and antioxidant polyphenols called proanthocyanidins, as well as quercetin, which are good for keeping cells healthy.

Pistachio Cranberry Dark Chocolate Bark

Ingredients

2 cup dark chocolate chips

1/4 cup shelled pistachios, lightly salted, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup dried cranberries, unsweetened

Directions

Put the chocolate chips in a bowl and melt in the microwave for 90 seconds.  Remove from microwave and stir until smooth.

Pour melted chocolate onto a parchment-lined sheet pan and spread it out across the pan.  It should be a thin layer.  Sprinkle the pistachios and cranberries on top until evenly coating the top.  Put in the freezer for a couple of hours.

Remove from freezer and peel off the sheet pan and break the bark apart into pieces.  Enjoy!