Alice Brown
Experienced and passionate pastry chef with a flair for creative desserts. Adept at crafting delicious treats, utilizing quality ingredients, and maintaining high standards of excellence in culinary artistry.
Experienced and passionate pastry chef with a flair for creative desserts. Adept at crafting delicious treats, utilizing quality ingredients, and maintaining high standards of excellence in culinary artistry.
The 5-Ingredient Snickers Chocolate Bark is such a decadent dessert. Imagine a sophisticated take on the classic Snickers bar. Yum! While its origins aren't definitively traced, chocolate barks are popular in Western countries, often served during holiday seasons or at parties.
Made with just five simple, yet indulgent ingredients, this delightful treat is perfect for Halloween, but don't limit it to just that occasion. This is the type of dessert that could easily make any event feel special - Christmas, birthday parties, you name it! Do you have friends coming over? Impress them with a batch of this homemade chocolate.
The ingredients that make up this delectable treat are date caramel, chocolate chips (half semi-sweet, half dark to add that depth of flavour), dribbly salted peanut butter, chopped roasted peanuts and last but not least, flaky sea salt. The caramel and peanut butter blend seamlessly into the rich, dark chocolate while the salted peanuts give a delightful crunch, and a sprinkle of flaky salt creates a balance between the sweet and salty.
Prepare the date caramel and set aside 1/4 cup of it. Store the rest in your fridge for a quick treat later.
Place the chocolate chips into a small microwaveable bowl and melt them in the microwave using 30-second intervals, stirring in between to prevent burning. If you prefer, you can also use the double boiler method on the stovetop.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and pour the melted chocolate onto it. Spread it thinly and evenly using a spatula or the back of a spoon.
Distribute dollops of date caramel evenly across the melted chocolate.
Add heaped teaspoons of peanut butter onto the chocolate-caramel mixture and swirl with a knife.
Sprinkle with the chopped peanuts and flaky sea salt according to your taste.
Freeze the bark for about 1 hour until it's completely set. Once set, break the bark into smaller pieces.
Store the pieces in the freezer in an airtight container. Since it softens at room temperature, it's best eaten straight from the freezer.
In this recipe, we suggest using half semi-sweet and half dark chocolate chips. This mix ensures the perfect balance of sweetness that complements the date caramel and salted peanut butter. However, feel free to adjust the ratios according to your preference. If you prefer a sweeter outcome, you can opt for more semi-sweet chocolate.
When melting the chocolate, be careful not to burn it. You can use a microwave, but be sure to do it in 30-second increments and stir in between. It's important to note that all microwaves vary, so timings might need to be adjusted. If you're not comfortable using a microwave, a double boiler works just as well and allows for a smoother melting process.
This recipe includes both salted peanut butter and flaky sea salt. If you prefer your sweets less salty or if you're using unsalted peanut butter or unsalted nuts, you might want to go lighter on the flaky sea salt. Always taste and adjust according to your preference.
Absolutely! However, keep in mind that regular caramel might be sweeter than date caramel. You may want to adjust the other ingredients to ensure the sweetness is balanced. Also, be mindful that swapping ingredients could change the texture.
If you're allergic to peanut butter or simply want to try something different, you can replace it with other nut or seed butters like almond butter or tahini. However, each type of butter will bring a slightly different flavor profile to the dish.
Yes, you can! To switch things up, try using different kinds of nuts. From almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, pecans - the choice is yours. However, remember that changing the nuts will alter the taste and texture of the bark, so choose according to your personal preference.
The bark tends to soften at room temperature, which might make it less pleasant to eat. The frozen bark gives a nice crunch that goes well with the gooey caramel. However, if you prefer a softer texture, you can certainly serve it at room temperature.
While the bark is a great treat in and of itself, you could certainly add a scoop of vanilla ice cream to make it extra special. The cold ice cream along with the frozen bark makes for a delightful dessert that your guests will love!