Having a food blog is the perfect excuse to make all types of goodies whenever you want – especially when it’s done under the guise of “research”.  So, I’ve been “researching” several sweet treats lately trying to find new and interesting snacks to give to friends and family during the holiday season.  I recently came across this recipe and thought it had some serious crowd-pleasing potential. I enjoy the combination of chocolate and orange, as long as the orange flavor isn’t too intense.  This treat has a perfect balance – the slight bitterness of orange zest and a sprinkling of salt round out the richness of the chocolate and nuts.

Makes about sixteen 3-inch pieces

Ingredients

• 1 navel orange
• 1 pound bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1  1/2 cups coarsely chopped unsalted peanuts (about 5 oz.)

Directions

Line a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil; chill.  With a vegetable peeler, remove the zest from the orange in long pieces (reserve orange for another use).  With a sharp knife, cut zest into very fine strips, about 1 inch long.

Place the chocolate in a large heatproof bowl set over (not in) a pan of simmering water, heat, stirring occasionally, until melted and smooth.  Mix in half of the zest and peanuts.  Immediately pour onto prepared baking sheet; with a flexible spatula, spread into a 10-by-12 inch rectangle. Sprinkle with remaining zest, nuts and the salt.

Chill until firm, about 30 minutes.  To serve, break into pieces.  Bark can be refrigerated up to 3 days, between layers of parchment, in air-tight containers.

Making bark is really simple and gives you a chance to be creative.  Consider using white chocolate, different types of nuts or even dried fruit.  What are your favorite variations of this treat?

original recipe found here