Annabel Langbein`s Chocolate Bark

New Zealand chef Annabel Langbein, whose popular show The Free Range Cook airs on Australian television, has taken a seasonal approach to the presentation of recipes in her latest cookbook.

This chocolate bark comes under summer, but we reckon it would be delicious at any time of year.

“The addition of smoked chilli and spices into this chocolate bar is subtle but utterly addictive,” Langbein says in the recipe introduction. “It makes a wonderful finish to a meal, accompanied by hot chocolate or coffee.”

Through the Seasons, published this month, features more than 200 easy-to-follow recipes accompanied by photos not just of the dishes but also of the kitchen gardens and stunning landscapes around her home hub of Wanaka, in New Zealand’s South Island.

Chocolate Bark

• Prep time 15 mins + setting
• Cook time 5 mins
• Serves 12-16

Ingredients

• 1 tsp very finely chopped dried smoked chilli
• ¼ tsp ground cloves
• 1 tsp five-spice powder
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp fine black pepper
• 500g dark chocolate (at least 60 per cent cocoa solids), coarsely chopped
• 1½ cups coarsely chopped dried cranberries
• 1 cup coarsely chopped unsalted roasted cashews
• 1 cup coarsely chopped pistachios, plus extra to sprinkle

Place the chilli, cloves, five-spice, cinnamon and black pepper in a heavy frypan and toast over medium heat until they just start to smell fragrant (about 30 seconds). Don’t overheat or they will burn.

Line an oven tray with baking paper for easy clean-up. Gently melt the chocolate in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds, or in a large bowl over a pot of boiling water. Remove from heat and stir in toasted spice mix and dried fruit and nuts, reserving about ½ cup pistachios.

Spread evenly on the prepared tray, sprinkle with extra pistachios and leave in a cool place until set (about 45 minutes). Break or chop into chunks. Store in a sealed container in a cool place for up to a month.

From SA's Senior's Newsletter.