Maple Pecan Superfood Bark

Submitted by:

American Pecan Council | Kayley McCabe, Kitchen McCabe

45 minutes

This superfood bark is made with dark chocolate and topped with crispy, crunchy, maple glazed pecans and dried cranberries that are spiced with black pepper, cinnamon, orange zest, and vanilla. Broken into pieces, this bark makes a fantastic treat for an on-the-go snack, a holiday party or given as an edible gift.

Ingredients

3 cups raw pecan halves
1 cup raw pecan pieces
1 cup dried cranberries
Zest of 2 small oranges
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons cracked black pepper
2 teaspoons vanilla or the seeds of 1 small vanilla bean
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 to 2 teaspoons coarse sea salt
10 ounces dark chocolate chips (60 to 70%)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place the pecan halves, pecan pieces, cranberries, orange zest, cinnamon, pepper, vanilla, and maple syrup in a saucepan and stir to combine. Bring the syrup to a boil over medium-high heat. Stirring constantly, cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the syrup has been completely absorbed by the nuts.
Remove nuts from heat and pour onto the parchment lined baking sheet. Spread the nuts out into a single layer. Bake them in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the pecans are a deep golden brown and give off a nutty aroma. Remove from oven and let cool completely.
While the nuts cool, line another baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place the chocolate chips in a saucepan and place over medium-low heat. Stir occasionally, until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth.
Pour the chocolate over the parchment lined sheet and smooth the chocolate out to a thickness of 1/4 inch.
Break up the cooled pecans and place them evenly over the surface of the chocolate.
Set the chocolate aside for several hours to set. Once the chocolate has set, break up into pieces and use as desired. Makes about 25 pieces of bark depending on the size of each piece.