Dark Chocolate Almond Sea Salt Bark

• 8 oz dark chocolate (70 to 85% cacao, in bars rather than chips; check the label for milk if you need it dairy-free)
• 1/2 cup raw almonds
• 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds (raw, hulled)
• 1 small orange (zest only)
• 1/2 tsp flaky sea salt

Instructions

1. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Toast the almonds and pumpkin seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring often, for 4 to 5 minutes until fragrant and lightly golden. Tip them onto a plate to cool, then roughly chop the almonds.
3. Chop the chocolate finely and set about one third of it aside in a small bowl.
4. Melt the remaining chocolate in a dry heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, with the bowl not touching the water, stirring until smooth.
5. Take the bowl off the heat and stir in the reserved chopped chocolate until it has melted completely. This cools the chocolate gently and helps it set glossy with a clean snap.
6. Pour the chocolate onto the parchment and spread it with a spatula into a rough rectangle about 1/4 inch thick.
7. Scatter the almonds, pumpkin seeds, orange zest, and flaky salt over the top and press them in lightly.
8. Chill 20 to 30 minutes until firm, then break the bark into 12 irregular pieces.

Tips

• Keep every bowl and spatula bone dry. Even a drop of water can make melted chocolate seize into a stiff, grainy clump.
• Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Let a piece sit out for a minute before eating if you like a softer bite.
• Pistachios, hazelnuts, cacao nibs, unsweetened coconut flakes, freeze-dried raspberries or a pinch of cinnamon or cayenne all make good toppings.
• Dark bars vary in the lead and cadmium they contain, so rotate brands rather than relying on one. Choose a short ingredient list: cacao, cocoa butter, a little sugar.

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