Chocolate Bark with Toasted Pistachios

With the holidays coming up, here is a great home-made gift idea. With 3 ingredients, this is probably the easiest dessert recipe ever. Play with the variations of toppings of mix-ins- dried cranberries or cherries would add a different texture to the chocolate and complement it nicely. This treat is a good excuse to indulge during the holiday season, isn’t chocolate suppose to be good for you anyways? Specks of green pistachios in this chocolate confection make this a festive holiday gift.

Chocolate Bark with Toasted Pistachios
About 4 dozen pieces

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup roasted, shelled pistachios, (3 ounces), coarsely chopped
• 1 tablespoon orange juice
• 24 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped, divided

Directions

1. Line the bottom and sides of a  baking sheet with foil.
2. Melt 24 ounces chocolate in a double boiler over hot water. Stir often with a rubber spatula so it melts evenly. Whisk in 1 tablespoon of orange juice in the end when you take it off the stove.
3. Add the pistachios to the chocolate; stir to mix well. Working quickly, scrape the chocolate onto the prepared pan, spreading it to an even 1/4-inch thickness with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle the remaining pistachio mixture on top; gently press it into the chocolate with your fingertips. Refrigerate, uncovered, just until set, about 20 minutes.
4. Invert the pan onto a large cutting board. Remove the pan and peel off the foil. Using the tip of a sharp knife, score the chocolate lengthwise with 6 parallel lines. Break bark along the score lines. Break the strips of bark into 2- to 3-inch chunks.