Recipe from Tom fa*glon
Adapted by Melissa Clark
Updated Oct. 16, 2023
- Total Time
- 10 minutes, plus chilling
- Rating
- 4(530)
- Notes
- Read community notes
Chocolate bark is the workhorse of homemade holiday gifts, and in Tom fa*glon's version, he scatters fresh pomegranate seeds over the surface, where they glisten like rubies. Chewy bits of candied ginger are hidden inside the bittersweet chocolate, lying in wait to surprise you with their spiciness. Then, to make things even more interesting, Mr. fa*glon strews the top with crunchy sea salt. This bark is as sweet and juicy as a box of chocolate-covered cherries, but a lot more sophisticated. —Melissa Clark
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Ingredients
Yield:About ¾ pound of bark (8 servings)
- 140grams dark (bittersweet) chocolate pieces (5 ounces)
- 20grams minced crystallized ginger (2 tablespoons)
- 140grams fresh pomegranate seeds (1 cup)
- 6grams flaky sea salt (1 teaspoon)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)
114 calories; 6 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 2 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 18 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 15 grams sugars; 1 gram protein; 100 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Step
1
Fit a heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water, making sure the water doesn’t touch the bottom of the bowl. Place the chocolate in the bowl and stir until fully melted, about 5 minutes. Remove the bowl from the pot and stir the crystallized ginger and half of the pomegranate seeds into the melted chocolate.
Step
2
Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper. Pour melted chocolate mixture onto the sheet. Use a spatula to smooth the chocolate into one even layer about ¼ inch thick (it does not need to fill the entire sheet). Sprinkle chocolate with remaining pomegranate seeds and sea salt.
Step
3
Chill for 20 to 30 minutes or until firm. Break or cut into pieces and store in an airtight container, separating the layers with wax paper. This is best served the same day it’s made, otherwise condensation may form on the surface.
Tip
- Measurements for dry ingredients are given by weight for greater accuracy. The equivalent measurements by volume are approximate.
Ratings
4
out of 5
530
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Cooking Notes
Neil
This dessert is delicious but the salt measurement is off. The first time I made it, I weighed out 6 grams using Maldon sea salt flakes, which came to 2.5 teaspoons worth. The resulting bark was waaaaay too salty, fairly inedible. Now I make it using just 1/3 teaspoon, which provides a nice undercurrent of salt without overwhelming the dessert.
bluetomatoes
If made by this technique, chocolate will condense on the surface. To avoid this, temper the chocolate with baking chocolate and store at 65-70 degrees--the intense cold of the fridge will cause the chocolate to bloom and become discolored. Also, blot the pomegranates as dry as possible in order to prevent the chocolate from seizing or not adhering to the pomegranates sprinkled atop the bark.
Paxson
You need to press the pomegranate seeds into the chocolate when it's soft so they adhere--otherwise a lot fall off. The taste is great in any case.
Phyllis Blake
I made this last year for a finicky daughter-in-law and she raved — and so did everyone else! Only problem is that the finished product must be kept cold and it's superb only for a day. Otherwise, an unusual treat that gave me an undeserved "gourmet cook" reputation.
Diana
Used Lindt 90% chocolate. No one noticed the lack of sweetness. It was the most eaten dish of all at Thanksgiving. The recipe calls for only two tablespoons of crystalized ginger but the video shows a larger amount. Go with more ginger. The Lindt chocolate tastes great but is a bit soft with the moisture of the pomegranates. It wil melt on you fingers easily. Still the best chocolate concoction I've ever tasted.
bsaylor
We used 70% chocolate, not bittersweet, but liked the result. Measured salt by volume and 1 teaspoon was not overwhelming but one could easily use less.
Leslie
Have made many times & often substitute dried cherries/dried blueberries or dried cranberries for the pomegranate. I use more choc also& store in the freezer to have on hand for gifts. Freezing keeps the bark well
kathy
Followed recipe as written , thank you Niel for the heads up on the salt. Came out perfect and so easy to make (once you have the pomegranate seeds). Kept for a few days , some condensation but didn't spoil the taste or texture. Will make again tonite for holiday guests.
kniterati
Served this for dessert on Channukah first night/Christmas Eve. I used fleur de sel but quite a bit less than asked for. Since there is such wide variability of crystal/clump size in the different types of sea salt, one really has to exercise judgement. Also, timing is everything. It must have time to cool and solidify but deep chilling will compromise the chocolate. It uses fresh fruit so it won't keep. Anyway, it is a lovely confection and elegant. Every one loved it.
Susan
This was delicious and a hit. After reading the notes, I found a video from America's Test Kitchen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5_kheJtQO4. It shows an easy way to temper chocolate. The bark was shiny and did not melt in our hands. The tiny piece that was not eaten immediately was still quite good two days later. I used a whole pomegranate, dried the seeds on paper towels, and firmly pressed the topping seeds firmly into the warm chocolate.
Darlene
When you say temper the (bittersweet) chocolate w/ baking chocolate, what do you mean? How much baking choc vs bittersweet should I use? Thx!
Neil
I think that 70% chocolate actually IS bittersweet.
Trish
Outstanding combination of flavors and lovely to look at. No problems using recipe as given. Froze what I did not use immediately and it is just as brilliant coming out of the freezer.
Caroline
This is insanely good. Agree with others to gently press the pomegranate seeds into the chocolate before freezing. Also note that crystallized ginger is not available at all grocery stores - you’ll want to go to a more high end or specialized one for this, and it can be a little expensive ($10 for a spice sized bottle at mine).
Lydia
For me this was just OK, and needing to eat it on the same day (for ideal quality...) can be impractical. In any case, here's what I learned. 1) Get ready-to-use pomegranate seeds if available. For some reason I chose the whole fruit instead. But already-prepped seeds would save time and mess! However, if using the whole fruit, one pomegranate is enough. 2) As someone else mentioned, the moisture from the seeds caused my chocolate to seize a bit. Also adds an unwanted element of fussiness.
Liz
Used 8oz of the Ghirardelli dark melting wafers over a double boiler until just melted. Poured into an 8x8 pan with parchment and sprinkled the pomegranate seeds (drained) in. Then sprinkled a little flaky salt and stuck it in the fridge. Tastes great, super easy and did not run into any of the fussiness or trouble that other people have described.
Claire C
Definitely only make this if you’re planning on eating all of it the same day. It doesn’t keep well. I kept leftovers in the fridge between wax paper and sealed in an airtight container. The next day it had gathered condensation and was melty. Luckily we only had about 2 broken off pieces left - it was truly delicious and our guests loved it. Just glad I didn’t end up giving it to them in gift bags to take home.
Dee
ginger best run through a small ninja processor to insure uniformity
ted s
Cut the salt in 1/2
Meaghan
DEFINITELY dry off the pomegranate seeds! My chocolate seized up. It still tastes good, but it’s not pretty
Rhys
An absolute dream to make and delicious. I used candied crystallised ginger and the result was fantastic. Only a small pinch of salt was needed and I made it go a long way. There was no bloom on my chocolate but I used 69% bittersweet chocolate as this blooms less than higher % dark chocolate (in my fridge). No issues here with the pomegranate arils just folded them straight in and sprinkled on top. Great crowd pleaser and easy to make.
beth
Just made this because I had a pomegranate and was looking for something interesting to do with it. I have bittersweet Guittard chips in the house and the combination is fabulous. Will make for dessert for Passover too.
Luther
Insane! First off, however much you think you'll need triple it. I doubled it and it's not nearly enough. Even doubling it I still only used a tsp of flake sea salt. Down side is that the shelf life is not long. Up side is that everyone gets to devour this better quickly.
Tani
The family loved this addictive recipe. Cut back the salt based on others comments.
Rebecca
Serve same dayDry pomegranate
Trish
Outstanding combination of flavors and lovely to look at. No problems using recipe as given. Froze what I did not use immediately and it is just as brilliant coming out of the freezer.
Susan
This was delicious and a hit. After reading the notes, I found a video from America's Test Kitchen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5_kheJtQO4. It shows an easy way to temper chocolate. The bark was shiny and did not melt in our hands. The tiny piece that was not eaten immediately was still quite good two days later. I used a whole pomegranate, dried the seeds on paper towels, and firmly pressed the topping seeds firmly into the warm chocolate.
flinhart
Follow the directions AND add more ginger. Best new holiday recipe. Everywhere I took it, people asked for the recipe.
flinhart
Oh ... seed the pomegranate and let the seeds dry in a strainer for a few hours. You need to eliminate excess /extraneous liquids.
Abenjamin8
Needs more ginger. I didn’t read the note about pressing the pomegranates into the soft chocolate. Definitely need to do that.
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