Chocolate Almond Bark | The Easiest Homemade Holiday Gift

In this tutorial: Melting Chocolate in the Microwave · Roasting Almonds · Making the Bark with a Transfer Sheet · Unmolding and Breaking the Bark

Chocolate almond bark is one of the simplest candy projects anyone can tackle at home – and with the addition of a chocolate transfer sheet, the results look far more impressive than the effort involved. In this preview from his Simply Chocolate DVD, Chef Alan Tetreault of Global Sugar Art demonstrates how to melt candy coating, fold in roasted almonds, and use a transfer sheet to add a decorative design to the finished bark.

What You'll Need

• Merkens candy coating wafers (dark, milk, or white) – easy-melt chocolate coating that requires no tempering.
• Whole almonds – raw almonds that will be roasted before mixing into the chocolate
• Chocolate transfer sheets – acetate sheets printed with cocoa butter designs; available in hundreds of themes and patterns.
• Glass bowl – microwave-safe, for melting the chocolate
• Large spoons – for stirring and spreading the chocolate
• Sheet pan – for roasting the almonds
• Gloves – to avoid leaving fingerprints on the finished chocolate

Melting Chocolate in the Microwave

▶ Watch this section (0:00)

Chef Alan uses Merkens cocoa light (milk chocolate) and dark chocolate candy coating wafers. Because these are candy coatings – not real chocolate – there is no need to temper. The chocolate simply needs to be melted properly.

1. Place a couple pounds of candy wafers in a microwave-safe glass bowl.
2. Microwave at 50% power for two minutes. When removed, the wafers may still look solid – they hold their shape even when the inside has begun to melt.
3. Stir with a spoon. As the heat dissipates through the mass, the wafers will melt quickly.
4. Return to the microwave at 50% power for another 30 seconds to one minute if needed. The total melt time is typically three to four minutes.
5. Stir until completely smooth with no remaining lumps.

Chef Alan notes that stirring incorporates tiny air bubbles into the chocolate. When molding chocolate pieces, tapping the mold on the counter helps bring those bubbles to the surface so the finished candy does not have small pits.

Roasting Almonds

▶ Watch this section (5:09)

Roasted almonds make a significant difference in flavor compared to using them raw.

1. Spread whole almonds on a sheet pan – do not grease the pan or add anything else.
2. Roast at 350 °F for 10–15 minutes, watching carefully.
3. Remove when the almonds have turned a nice dark brown. They will have a rich, nutty aroma.

Making the Bark with a Transfer Sheet

▶ Watch this section (4:34)

Chef Alan uses a snowman-themed transfer sheet for this bark, but transfer sheets come in dozens of designs – baby showers, holiday themes, geometric patterns, fruit slices, and more.

1. Identify the correct side of the transfer sheet. One side is smooth acetate; the other has the cocoa butter design printed on it. The cocoa butter side should face up.
2. Lay the transfer sheet flat, cocoa-butter-side up.
3. Fold roasted almonds into the melted dark chocolate and stir to combine.
4. Pour the chocolate-almond mixture onto the transfer sheet and spread it out evenly – not too thin.
5. Place the sheet in the freezer for about five minutes to firm up. Leaving it on the counter also works but takes longer.

Unmolding and Breaking the Bark

▶ Watch this section (6:57)

After five to ten minutes in the freezer, the bark is ready.

1. Remove from the freezer and flip the bark over.
2. Peel away the acetate transfer sheet. The cocoa butter design – in this case, snowmen – will have transferred onto the surface of the chocolate.
3. Break the bark into irregular pieces by hand. Wear gloves to avoid leaving fingerprints on the chocolate.

Quick Reference

This tutorial is part of Global Sugar Art's library of free cake decorating videos by Chef Alan Tetreault. Browse all tutorials →