Dark Chocolate Fruit and Nut Slab
Ingredients
- 500 g dark chocolate callets or pea size pieces
- 150 g roasted hazelnuts or other nuts/seeds of choice, left whole
- 150 g dried figs cut into thin slices
- 100 g turkish apricots cut into thin slices
- 50 g Goji berries
- sea salt flakes
Instructions
- Line a slice tin with baking paper (use a dab of oil under paper to keep it in place)
- NOTE: the larger the tin the thinner the slab will be
- Place the nuts and dried fruit of choice in a bowl (I like to use plastic when dealing with chocolate)
- Place 350g dark chocolate into dry ™ bowl
- Melt 8 minutes / 50 degrees / speed 2 / MC off, pausing machine after 2 minutes, and then at 4 minutes to scrape down sides to ensure all the chocolate pieces are in the base of the bowl
- Stir mix around
- Add 150g dark chocolate callets or pieces and mix 7 minutes / no heat / speed 2 / MC off
- Stir mix around
- Pour chocolate into bowl with other ingredients and combine quickly
- Pour mix into slice tin and spread out as best as you can, then tap the tin on your bench to even out the slab
- Sprinkle with sea salt flakes to taste
- Allow to set at room temperature in a cool area
- NB: if it is a warm day, place the slab into the fridge for 10 to 15 minutes to help it start to set more quickly, then remove and place into a cool area to continue to set (leave it for a few hours if possible)
- Cut into desired pieces
- Store in a sealed container at room temperature in a cool spot, or if you like your chocolate cold store in the fridge
- PS: with the chocolate left in the bowl make yourself (or the kids) a hot chocolate drink
Notes
Because of it's rich intense taste, dark chocolate pairs well with so many other flavours ... so whilst I have used hazelnuts, apricots, figs and goji berries in this slab, you can use any nut you like (and that includes pine nuts and all seeds to keep it nut free ... just make sure they are well roasted ... take them almost to the edge of being overdone for that deep roasted flavour), use any dried fruit you like (include in that all berries, currents, sultanas, even glace ginger or chopped dates for that caramel taste), and flavourings (consider mixing in chilli flakes, freshly cracked pepper, orange rind, lime rind, cinnamon, dried mint leaves - yes, that is right - coffee granules or essentials oils) ... in fact anything that appeals to you.
In terms of quantities, just make sure you stick with the weights I have given for the fruit and nuts as I know that works with the amount of chocolate being used. Also ensure that your fruit and nuts are at room temperature (and not cold from the fridge) otherwise the chocolate will set too quickly when added to them and you won't be able to stir it through the mix.
Regardless of what ingredients I use, I like to dust the finished slab with sea salt flakes as that slight saltiness will always heighten the delicious dark chocolate flavour.
Before making this slab please read my tips on tempering chocolate (see here) just so that you are aware of the process ... I increased the time for the initial melt in this recipe by one minute as I used a larger quantity than what I used in the "tempering" recipe, but I had my trusty thermometer to help guide me when doing this to ensure I had the timings right.
You will also note in the pictures that the chocolate I used doesn't look great! It has a lot of white streaks (which is called "bloom") because this is the chocolate I used in my many attempts to temper chocolate in the first place, so I kept that chocolate to reuse as it can be re-tempered. So ... to be frank ... I actually have a lot to use!
To make this vegan and dairy free use dairy free chocolate (there are lots of brands around, but one that I like is Whittaker's ... none of their dark chocolate has added dairy).