Salted Gingersnap & Hazelnut Bark
October 30th, 2009 | Filed under: dessert, recipe, sides & bites | Tags: chocolate, ginger, gingersnaps, hazelnuts
Ok, ok! I’ll concede that I might actually have a little, teensy tiny bit of a sweet tooth. There – I said it. Though it’s true that I often pass on the candy and cupcakes at work, I think I do actually crave sweet things. Sometimes. Especially if I make them myself, which means sweet, but not too sweet and most of the times means something Salted. What can I say? I’m a salt fiend. It just makes dessert more interesting – that pop of something salty – always surprising – makes sweet taste so much sweeter.
This time of year, I love ginger snaps. They’re spicy and somehow warming. My favorite kind are the really gingery ones that have a good bite and nice chew to them. The Whole Foods brand gingersnaps are just perfect. I had a half a bag of those, some dark chocolate chips and hazelnuts. So, I made bark with them, which is basically a pretty way of saying chocolate with mix-ins.
This recipe is actually really simple. Crushed store-bought ginger snaps, melted chocolate, ground hazelnuts and a bit of flaky salt. That’s pretty much it. The hardest part is waiting for the stuff to cool. Next time, I might try graham crackers or even pretzels. The possibilities are endless, and that’s why I love recipes like this.
Salted Gingersnap & Hazelnut Bark
3 cups gingersnaps (I like the Whole Foods brand)
12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup hazelnuts
1 tsp. flaky sea salt
Place the gingersnaps in a bag and beat them with a spoon or rolling pin until broken into rough pieces. You don’t want to crush them or they won’t stay crisp. Place the broken cookies on a silpat (or silicone) mat or piece of parchment.
Place a pot of water over medium heat. Put your chocolate chips in a metal bowl and place it over the pot of hot water, creating a double boiler. Stir your chocolate until it melts through, then carefully pour it over the gingersnaps until completely covered. Use a spatula to spread it evenly over the cookies.
Quickly sprinkle the hazelnuts over the chocolate in an even layer. Then do the same with the salt.
Let cool completely – until the chocolate has hardened through (you can refrigerate it on a flat surface to speed up the process. Peel the big piece from the silpat mat and transfer to a cookie sheet. Use a large knife to cut it into pieces.
Makes approx. 12 2-inch squares
Yum! You have such a way for keeping things simple, but combining the perfect ingredients to make something amazing.
This is almost as easy as making instant pudding! Gingersnaps make for a great snack in the fall and what isn’t better with chocolate?
I like the salty/sweet combination also. Chocolate chip cookies w/ fleur de sel sprinkled on top? Yes please!
I can’t believe I am going to try this, but I am!
I love gingersnaps and love this idea!
You are so clever!
Salt and sweet is the best combo. I wil pass on the cupcakes and candy, but this is right up my alley!
Wow, what a great idea! I also love sweet and salty combinations. Love that it is so easy. I don’t have much patience when it comes to dessert making…
WOW – what a simple yet clever and lovely idea! LOVE chocolate and gingersnaps. I will have to try this!
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[...] very easy, but extremely festive, recipe for the holiday season is the Salted Gingersnap and Hazelnut Bark at Bitchin’ Camero. I tried some chocolate covered gingersnaps last year that were ok, and [...]
This looks great! I think the gingersnap ideal is priceless. Much more interesting than those barks that call for soda crackers.
What a great combo.
[...] (and mine) J-Purr. A triple birthday party was planned, and celebratory snacks were in order. This recipe caught my eye as I have a score to settle with gingersnaps. I then promptly, and unintentionally, [...]
Now this is a sweet treat I can get on board with! I am not much of a sweets person, but this sounds delicious!