Spicy Dark Chocolate Pecan Bark: A Simple and Irresistible Treat

Tempered dark chocolate is studded with spicy pecans for a memorable sweet and spicy flavor delight. It's a great way to meet your chocolate requirement.

dark chocolate pieces with spicy pecans in a dish.

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 1 15

Total Time 1 30

Ingredients

3 tablespoons (42 g) unsalted butter
1 large (30 g) egg white
¾ teaspoon (¾ teaspoon) salt
2 tablespoons (2 tablespoons) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon (1 tablespoon) sweet Hungarian paprika
¾ teaspoon (¾ teaspoon) cayenne pepper
2 ¼ cups (290 g) pecan halves
7 ounces (198 g) bittersweet or dark chocolate

Instructions

Directions for the Spicy Pecans:

Melt 3 tablespoons unsalted butter and set aside to cool.
Combine 1 large egg white and 3/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl and beat/whisk until foamy.
Mix in 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon sweet Hungarian paprika, and 3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper.
Stir in cooled butter and 2 1/4 cups pecan halves.
Cover a cookie sheet with aluminum foil (I like non-stick foil) or a silicone baking sheet.
Spread pecans over sheet in an even layer.
Bake at 325˚F (165˚C) for 30-40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Allow to cool.

Directions for the Chocolate Bark:

Melt 3/4 of 7 ounces bittersweet or dark chocolate in the microwave set on MEDIUM. I start with 1-1/2 minutes, then stir. Thereafter, stir every 30 seconds until the chocolate is melted.
Chop the remaining bar very finely. Add to melted chocolate and stir until all chocolate is melted.
Line a large baking sheet (or two smaller ones) with wax paper. Spread chocolate out as thin as possible. Chill. When hard, break into bite-size pieces, but not too big. Store in the fridge or freezer. This candy definitely "melts in your hands."

Notes

If your favorite chocolate bars are a little bigger than 3.5 ounces, no worries. Just add a few more pecans.

If you are not familiar with Swerve, it is a sugar substitute made with erythritol. If you decide to use it, watch the pecans carefully while baking as they tend to brown quicker than when using regular sugar. I reduce the temperature to 300˚F and the time back to 20-30 minutes.

Nutritional Information