Cake Batter & Crumbs: White Chocolate, Cranberry & Pistachio Bark

December 20, 2007

White Chocolate, Cranberry & Pistachio Bark

I made this holiday bark to give out with my Christmas cards at the office. It packages every well in clear cellophane bags with a nice ribbon tying it closed. This recipe was featured on the Food Network's website and looked so festive with the white chocolate, dark red cranberries, and pale green pistachios.

The recipe has just a few ingredients to pull together such a lovely treat. Although I found the overall directions a bit long for such a simple recipe. To be honest, I didn't follow the instructions as listed on the website, so I'm linking to that recipe. I didn't have a candy thermometer so I just pulled the chocolate off the heat as soon as the majority was melted. It turned out perfectly. My simplified version is below.

I used Craisins to give it a sweeter rather than tart flavor. Also, I couldn't find any pre-shelled pistachios in my area so I spent a good part of the afternoon shelling them. I suppose it would have gone faster if I hadn't eaten one for every couple that I shelled! Although the original recipe didn't call for it, I coarsely chopped my pistachios and some of the cranberries.

White Chocolate Cranberry and Pistachio Holiday Bark

1 pound finely chopped white chocolate
1 1/2 teaspoons nut or plain oil
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 1/4 cups shelled pistachio nuts, toasted and papery coating peeled

Melt the white chocolate over a double boiler. I used a small pot with a few inches of water and then placed the bowl to my stand mixer on top. When most of the chocolate begins to melt, remove it from the head and add the oil. (I just used Canola.) Then add all of the cranberries and pistachios.

Spread the mixture out on a silpat or foil-lined baking sheet and allow to cool at room temperature until it's set and ready to break apart.

The bark as it's cooling.