Salted Chocolate Pretzel Bark

I write this post from the deepest, darkest depths of my sofa.

I'm wearing my fluffiest socks, I've dimmed the lights, lit the candles and I'm watching steam rise from a freshly brewed mug of black coffee.

There are only two things which could make this moment even more magical.

Jake Gyllenhaal and/or Salted Chocolate Pretzel Bark.









It's basically a salty-sweet lovers paradise.

Dark chocolate loaded with chopped peanuts and almonds, cracked pretzels, chewy fudge chunks and broken Oreo's, melted together and smashed into gnawable slabs.

I know, right. The ultimate sofa snuggling indulgence.

You're going to need:

500g good quality chocolate. It's kind of the main event here so choose wisely. I like Green & Black's  because you can monitor how bitter you go with the handy %'s. I use 300g 70% cocoa minimum and 200g of 37-32g milk chocolate to lighten it up a tad.
3/4 of a pack of Oreo's. What happens to that last quarter is totally up to you. *Wipes cookie crumbs from face and disposes of empty biscuit packet*
1/3 cup rosted, salted almonds
1/3 cup roasted, salted peanuts
1/3 cup fudge pieces (I get mine from here)
1 and 1/2 cups of salted pretzels
A sprinkle of sea salt

OK. Smash your pretzels. Blitz your nuts. Smush the Oreo's into halves and quarters.









Next up, pelt your chocolate with a rolling pin and melt it in a big bowl over a pan of simmering water. Avoid using a microwave if you can, this is good chocolate and accidentally frazzling it is a total cocoatrastrophe.

Trust me, I've bean there before.





Grab an every day shallow baking tray and line it with grease proof paper. When your chocolate has melted, pour it in and even out with a silicone spatula.



When you're happy, load it up, baby! I start with a layer of peanuts and almonds, followed by the Oreo's, pretzels and fudge chunks. When it looks good, I throw on the rest of the nuts and a sprinkle of flaked sea salt. Maldon is my most favourite brand.









Pop your tray straight into the fridge and leave it there until everything has set. I leave mine overnight but if you're really pushed for time, 3 to 4 hours should do the trick.

When it's ready, it should look a little something like this:

Exactly the same as before but a little chillier.



Select an instrument of mass destruction (hammer, rolling pin, knuckles & brute force) and break your bark into smaller slabs. For the more precise foodies among us, warm a sharp knife under hot water and cut fancy slithers of delicate perfection.

Personally, I prefer the mass destruction technique and end up with this:



Salty, rich chocolate rubble, spiked with sea salt and creamy fudge.





Grab your loot, wriggle your way into the sofa and have a beautiful weekend!