Pistachio & Cranberry White Chocolate Bark

Every year for Christmas, peppermint bark is an absolute must-have for me. Back when I was working my first job out of college, my boss gave me a tin of Williams Sonoma peppermint bark (she was feeding the foodie monster and didn’t even know it), and I fell in love. The next year, I started making my own and I haven’t looked back. In addition to my regular peppermint bark, I wanted to experiment this year with some other types of festive barks, especially after making Toffee Pretzel Bark this summer and being totally enamored by it as well.

One of my favorite biscotti variations to make during the holidays is a simple, vanilla-flavored dough with dried cranberries, pistachios and white chocolate chips. Voilà! I had my first bark variation for this year figured out!

I love how festive the red cranberries and green pistachios are, and against the creamy white backdrop, this bark is a gorgeous addition to a cookie tray or even to put into individual tins or goodie bags for giving as gifts.

I’m admittedly a little (okay, a lot) finicky about my white chocolate, because sometimes the cheaper brands can taste chalky and/or too sickeningly sweet to me. If you’re just throwing white chocolate chips into a cookie it’s not such a big deal, but with the white chocolate playing such a prominent role in a recipe like this, I’m a big advocate of using good quality white chocolate. My personal favorite is Lindt – it’s smooth and creamy, not too sweet, and you can find it pretty much everywhere.

Do you have a favorite type of chocolate bark?

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One year ago: Homemade Oreo Cookies

Pistachio & Cranberry White Chocolate Bark

Yield: About 1 lb. of bark

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Set Time: 30 minutes

1 lb. white chocolate

½ cup shelled pistachios

½ cup dried cranberries

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

2. Melt the white chocolate over a double boiler (or in 30-second intervals in the microwave on 50% power, stirring after each). Once the chocolate is melted, remove from the heat and let sit for a few minutes to cool slightly, stirring occasionally. Add the pistachios and cranberries and stir to combine.

3. Spread the chocolate mixture onto the prepared pan in an even layer (depending on the size of the pan and how thick you’d like your bark, you may not need the entire surface of the pan).

4. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or until set.

5. Using a sharp knife, cut the bark into pieces. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

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