Wow! Chocolate Bark with Caramelized Quinoa
The first ingredient in this dark chocolate bark (psst, it’s quinoa) gives this treat loads of crunch. Plus, it’s a whole grain, which definitely makes this sweet even sweeter. Once cooled, break up some of the bark and serve it over frozen yogurt or in muesli, or enjoy it straight from the pan. Bonus! This crunchy, chocolatey treat makes a great gift.
Using a dark (72% cacao) chocolate brings an intense, not-too-sweet, almost fruity flavor to this bark. If you prefer a sweeter chocolate, substitute bittersweet (60% cacao) chocolate.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
- 1/3 cup turbinado sugar
- 7 ounces dark (72% cacao) chocolate, finely chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
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Preparation
1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add quinoa; cook 3 minutes or until lightly toasted, stirring constantly. Add the sugar; cook, stirring constantly, an additional 6 minutes or until sugar is melted and amber colored. Transfer mixture to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper; spread to a thin, even layer. Cool completely. Place cooled mixture in a zip-top plastic bag; gently tap with a rolling pin to break apart any clusters. Reserve 1/3 cup mixture; set aside.
2. Place chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at 20% power for 15 seconds; remove bowl from microwave, and stir. Repeat procedure about 4 or 5 times, microwaving and stirring until most of chocolate has melted. Let stand 1 minute or until chocolate is thoroughly melted and smooth, stirring occasionally. Stir in quinoa mixture (except reserved 1/3 cup).
3. Pour chocolate-quinoa mixture into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish lined with parchment paper. Spread to 1/16-inch thickness. Sprinkle with reserved 1/3 cup quinoa and sea salt. Gently press to adhere. Freeze 5 to 10 minutes to set. Break bark into 15 pieces (about 1 ounce each).
SERVES 15 (serving size: 1 piece) CALORIES 121; FAT 6.3g (sat 3.9g, mono 0.1g, poly 0.2g); PROTEIN 2g; CARB 14g; FIBER 2g; CHOL 0mg; IRON 3mg; SODIUM 39mg; CALC 3mg