CHOCOLATE NUT BARK

8 ounces chocolate (bittersweet, milk, or white), finely chopped
1 cup whole nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, macadamia nuts, pecans, or pistachio nuts), toasted, at room temperature

Line a baking sheet with parchment or waxed paper.

Melt and temper the chocolate.

Stir the nuts into the chocolate, coating them completely. Turn the mixture out onto the baking sheet and spread it with an offset spatula to an approximate thickness of 1/4 inch, depending on the size of the nuts. Refrigerate to set the chocolate (15 to 20 minutes) then let the bark sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Hold the bark with parchment or waxed paper and break it into pieces. This will prevent finger marks on the bark.

Stored between layers of parchment or waxed paper in a tightly covered container, the bark will keep for one week at room temperature. If the container is wrapped in several layers of aluminum foil, the bark will keep for one month in the refrigerator.

The bark is best served at room temperature.

Makes: 10 to 14 pieces
Source: Truffles, Candies and Confections by Carole Bloom