Chocolate bark has enjoyed much popularity over the years – with good reason! It’s simple to make, there are limitless flavor combinations to let your creativity shine through, and there are even healthy versions for the New Year’s Resolution-ers (which takes the fun right out of it). This Tahini & Peanut Butter Chocolate Bark recipe is just the next step on the evolutionary path from the Milk Chocolate Sesame Bark that Kyle tasted a few years ago.
The journey of the tahini addition to this latest bark recipe really began back in February. The inspiration came from Chocolate Tahini Chess Bars in Ottolenghi’s cookbook, Sweet. Drawing upon the delicious combination of the nutty sesame and rich, slightly bitter chocolate from the Milk Chocolate Sesame Bark and the Chocolate Tahini Chess Bars, Kyle crafted a new bark recipe.
The combination of sesame oil and chocolate was an odd, yet pleasant surprise – the sesame’s spark of nuttiness makes it a natural friend to the rich cocoa flavors in the chocolate. As tahini is derived from sesame seeds, Kyle believed there was a way to incorporate the chocolate, sesame oil and tahini into a dessert bark, easily adding to his holiday cookie and candy offerings.
Bark is extremely additive, BUT incredibly easy to prepare. These qualities make it the perfect treat for holiday gift giving – not just Christmas, but Valentine’s Day as well.
Kyle wished to do more than simply just add some tahini into the previous Milk Chocolate Sesame Bark recipe. The bark he had in mind would create two distinct layers – one being the tahini layer, the other chocolate-sesame. The tahini was combined with some white chocolate chips, with a bit of peanut butter to enhance the nutty flavor. The mildness of the white chocolate chips served as the perfect palette for the tahini flavor.
The addition of peanut butter complemented the nutty flavors of the tahini and the sesame oil, creating an interesting and harmonious combination of flavor. Instead of using milk chocolate (like in the original bark), Kyle used semi-sweet chocolate, which helped balance out the added sweetness from the white chocolate chips. A dusting of flaky sea salt added a bit of crunch and a slightly salty infusion that tied all the flavors together.
To temper the chocolate (which will render the melted chocolate smooth and glossy, giving the bark that snap when you bite into it), you can use the double-boiler method listed in the recipe. You melt about 3/4 of each chocolate (it does not have to be exact) over simmering water, combine the rest of the chocolate after the pan is removed from the heat, stir until your chocolate is smooth.
Once you pour your tahini-white chocolate layer into the pan, schmear it with a spatula across the darker chocolate layer (moving in the same direction). This will blend the two chocolates layers giving it that professional and swirly-bark look.
This bark tastes like a grown-up, fancy Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup – you will develop quite the fan following with each gift of bark you deliver. It is the perfect holiday anytime treat!
- 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 6 ounces white chocolate chips
- 1 tablespoon tahini
- 1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter
- Flaky sea salt, for garnish
- Line a 9 x 13-inch pan with parchment paper.
- Melt about ¾ of the semi-sweet chocolate (it doesn’t have to be exact) in a medium heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water.
- Remove the bowl from the heat and stir in reserved semi-sweet chocolate chips and sesame oil until mixture is completely melted and smooth.
- Spread the chocolate evenly into the prepared pan.
- Next, melt about ¾ of the white chips (again, it doesn’t have to be exact) in a medium heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water.
- Remove the bowl from the heat and stir in reserved white chips, tahini and peanut butter until mixture is completely melted and smooth.
- Dollop spoonfuls of the tahini-peanut butter- chocolate mixture over the semi-sweet chocolate and swirl with an offset spatula or butter knife. Sprinkle with sea salt.
- Freeze until the bark has set, about 45 to 60 minutes, then break into pieces. Bark is best stored in the fridge.
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