Chocolate Toffee Pumpkin Seed Bark
TIME/SERVINGS
Total: 10 mins, plus time to set
Active: 5 mins
Makes: 10 servings
By Aida Mollenkamp
Bark is one of the easiest confections to make. This one has a dose of the Southwest, with a bit of cayenne and some toasted pumpkin seeds. Luckily bark can be made almost as quickly as it’s devoured, and this recipe is no exception.
What to buy: E. Guittard’s chocolate wafers taste great and come in easy-to-measure disks.
Game plan: The bark should be stored in an airtight container in a cool, dry place, and will last up to 3 days.
- 1/2 cup hulled unsalted pumpkin seeds, also called pepitas
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, such as E. Guittard
- 1 1/2 ounces finely chopped chocolate toffee bar, such as Heath
- Line a baking sheet with parchment or waxed paper, or use a silicone baking sheet, and set aside.
- Heat pumpkin seeds in a medium frying pan over medium heat and toast until golden brown, about 6 minutes. Let cool slightly, then mix with cayenne until well blended; set aside.
- Melt chocolate and toffee bar in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, until smooth. Remove from heat and mix in 3/4 of the pumpkin seed mixture. Spread chocolate mixture onto the lined baking sheet very thinly, into roughly a 12-by-10-inch rectangle. Sprinkle remaining pumpkin seed mixture over top. Let set in a cool, dry location. Once bark is hard, break up into shards.
COMMENTS | ADD YOUR OWN
the hard toffee melts?
toodie jane: the chocolate in the toffee bar melts while the toffee stays pretty intact making for bites of toffee and pumpkinseeds scattered throughout.
The Cayenne is interesting -- we have long found that some Cayenne is interesting in most chocolate preparations. Brownies are transformed into a surprising and delicious treat --
ward
Sounds great. I might reverse this and use a homemade English toffeerecipe, but, then add the nuts and spices to the chocolate covering instead of chopped almonds. Thanks for the inspiration.
Great bark, but I would leave out the cayenne, and add a few hazelnuts to the chocolate as well. I used a Sharfenberger 70% that was really smooth, but I could not get the Heath toffee bar to melt. It didn't matter, as it was all gone in two days!
bbqman
I made this, it was nice and easy, great gift!