I like choc-alot!

Something a little different from me this week! Yes, it's chocolate bark!

This is a very simple dessert to make, but you do need to plan ahead as the bark needs to harden overnight. There are not really any quantities because you can make as much or as little as you like. I melted four 100g bars of dark chocolate - the lower the sugar content the healthier the bark. I used 70% chocolate, but if you love the bitterness of pure cocoa, then feel free to go for a higher percentage.

Once the chocolate was melted, I spread it over two sheets of baking paper (only one is pictured here). Next the fun part! Liberally sprinkle the melted chocolate with nuts and dried fruit. I used pistachios, chopped brazil nuts, cranberries and raisins. It is important to have everything in place on the chocolate before it sets, so you must have all your dried fruit and nuts at the ready - I gather them while the chocolate is melting. An optional extra is to grind a little sea-salt on top of the fruit and nuts.

Place the bark in the fridge overnight to harden. I put the sheets on top of baking trays to help move them into the fridge. Once hardened, remove the bark from the fridge and just break into rough pieces with your hands. Store in a lidded container and return to the fridge. Take out just before serving.

Nuts contain protein, healthy fats and a plethora of micronutrients. It is important to note that although this is a healthier dessert, it still contains some sugar and natural sugars (from the dried fruit) so might not be appropriate if you are watching your sugar levels or trying to lose weight.