Juniper & Hazelnut Chocolate Bark

Happy New Year! I know it’s already the middle of January, but time flies when you have soap to make. The new year is a great time to explore new flavors. One of the first times I ever tasted juniper was in rabbit ragù. My tasted bud were blown away by the flavor combination. Juniper berries are so good in both savory and sweet dishes and they aren’t just for making gin. Juniper berries also have some wonderful medicinal properties. They were traditionally used to dull the pain of tooth ache. This recipe is just about enjoying their flavor. I’ll have another post about the medicinal uses of juniper soon.

I created this recipe for my newsletter subscribers for Christmas. Of all the chocolate barks I’ve made, this one is definitely my favorite. Juniper berries are earthy, resinous and sweet. If you haven’t tried them they might just become your new favorite flavor. Hazelnuts are buttery and nutty and crunchy. The dark chocolate brings the two together in such a harmonious way. This recipe like my other barks are super quick to make assuming you have the ingredients ready. I highly recommend prepping more of the juniper berries and hazelnuts than you need so you are ready for next time.

Juniper & Hazelnut Chocolate Bark

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup of ground juniper berries

• 1/3 cup of chopped toasted hazelnuts

• 1 -16 oz bag of dark chocolate chips

Directions:

Start by toasting the hazelnuts on a baking sheet for 20 minutes at 325 degrees. When they are golden and smell absoultely delicious take them out and let them cool. I remove the skins by just taking a few hazelnuts in my hand and rubbing them together. They come off quite easily. Once you have a 1/3 of cup roughly chop them.

Next grind up the juniper berries in a coffee grinder. I have one specifically reserved for herbs. You can try doing this with a mortar and pestle but I found the juniper berries just fly out of the bowl to easily and it becomes frustrating. Make sure they are ground to a powder.

Now come the fun part, melting the chocolate. First prep a baking sheet with parchment paper or wax paper. Next pour all of the chocolate chips into a sauce pan with the heat on low-medium. Stir the chips continuously in a figure 8 motion until they are completely melted. Add in 1 tbsp of the juniper powder and mix well. Remove from the heat and pour the mixture on to your prepared baking sheet. Using a spoon or a spatula spread the chocolate out to whatever thickness you prefer. I really like it to be about 1/8-1/4 inch thick. Top with the chopped hazelnuts and sprinkle on extra powdered juniper. You can add some whole juniper berries as well for looks as well as an add burst of flavor.

Let the whole thing cool until the chocolate is solid. Once it’s cooled crack it into pieces and enjoy!