I've given myself a few days off of work, and recently moved into a new apartment. This makes me over-productive. I have a to-do list on my chalkboard that grows and never shrinks. At times, I find myself with an unreasonable amount of things on the go, and feel close to collapsing by dinner.
Today, I took it down a notch. After trying to wash hair dye out of my hair (if it lasts 28 washes, I personally feel that you should be able to technically shampoo your hair 28 times in one shower and get your original colour back) and cutting it myself (there should be an app for your phone that speed dials your girlfriends when you type in "DIY haircut" in Google), I made myself some chocolate.
This is my first go at any kind of chocolate bark. For those of you with whom I will be sharing this with over the weekend: after getting over a self-inflicted ball of fire in my mouth, I have removed the larger chunks of red chiles from the top. You're welcome.
Chile-Spiced Chocolate Coconut Butter Bark with Toasted Brazil Nuts & Sea Salt
Ingredients
7 oz unsweetened chocolate (naturally vegan)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (not all brands are vegan - check the labels)
1/4 cup coconut butter, plus 1 tbsp for drizzling (note: not the same as coconut oil)
1/2 tbsp finely minced red chiles
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup brazil nuts, chopped
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Directions
If you're making your own coconut butter, because your lovely friend didn't bring you a jar like mine did, it's actually just unsweetened coconut flakes ground into a thick liquid. This recipe only calls for 1/4 cup plus 1tbsp, so you don't need much. You need a pretty good blender to get the smooth consistency, and using large flakes is much easier. Alternatively, you can also find jars of it ready-made in health food stores.
In a deep saucepan, bring water to a simmer, leaving enough room to set a metal or heat-friendly bowl inside. Combine all chocolate and 1/4 cup coconut butter and melt, stirring occasionally.
In a toaster oven or oven on low heat, toast the brazil nuts (in my toaster oven this took literally 2 minutes, so be careful not to burn).
Once chocolate is completely melted, stir in most of the red chiles and salt, leaving some aside for the topping.
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Pour chocolate mixture onto the sheet and spread with a spatula until relatively even.
Sprinkle brazil nuts, a dash of cinnamon, and remainder of sea salt and chile. Using a spoon, drop small quantities of the coconut butter onto the chocolate. Using the sharp end of a knife or skewer, drag it through the coconut butter in various directions to spread it into a pattern.
Let stand in freezer or fridge until hardened, about 1 hour. Break apart and store in a cool place.
