Almond bark comes in several flavors and is a great candymaking ingredient
Almond bark can refer to both a candy coating material available in artificial vanilla or chocolate flavors, as well as to a simple candy containing white or dark chocolate, nuts or other additions. If you've ever had a chocolate holiday candy that's served in intentionally broken pieces, flecked with nuts, then you've probably eaten a variety of almond bark. There are many uses, however, for this candy coating, so let your imagination run wild with the possibilities!
Almond Bark and Substitutions
As a candy coating, almond bark is usually sold in 1/2-pound or 1-pound blocks, which are scored for easy cutting or breaking. Almond bark can be interchangeably used with regular chocolate as a coating, and is often used as a cheaper substitute for chocolate (white and regular), although it is not recommended as a baking substitute for chocolate.
Coating
Almond bark makes a delicious dipping and coating medium for your favorite snacks. Melt it over low heat in a double-boiler and using it to coat pretzels, graham crackers or dried fruit such as apricots or mangoes. Or, mix melted almond bark with a little heavy cream for a delightful fondue dessert, and dip marshmallows, fresh sliced fruit or cake cubes into the mixture.
Barks
Barks are basically candy bars made from melted white, milk or dark chocolate mixed with nuts, fruits and other mix-ins. Almond bark is an easy and cost-effective ingredient for making bark candies: just melt it in a double boiler and add your desired ingredients. A good rule of thumb is to use about 3 cups of mix-ins for every 1/2 pound of almond bark. Use toasted and chopped nuts for the best flavor and texture. You can experiment by adding crushed candies such as peppermints, hard caramels or spicy cinnamon bits. For a softer and even sweeter bark, add a can of sweetened condensed milk. To prevent the bark from sticking to the pan, line it with parchment or waxed paper before pouring in the liquid bark; let the mixture set in the refrigerator until it hardens, and break into pieces.
Finishing Touches
Use a vegetable peeler to shave slices of almond bark to decorate ice cream sundaes, cheesecakes, cupcakes, fruit salads and other sweet desserts. Or drizzle a thin stream of melted almond bark to create decorative accents on a serving plate or swirls on a cake.
Tags: almond bark, Almond bark, candy coating, dark chocolate, melted almond
