Thursday, May 24, 2012

Tips On Using Almond Bark

Almond bark comes in varying flavors and textures to suit your project.


Almond bark is a vegetable substitute for chocolate (although some recipes may include real chocolate) that makes a pleasant addition to most treats. You have several different options for using almond bark, but the most common use is for drizzling or dipping. Almond bark is not something you would normally enjoy on its own because of the bitter taste.


Shave It








Almond bark is a little bitter, so it isn't something you want to throw into pastries in large quantities. Finely shred the almond bark using a knife instead of adding chunks of almond bark to a recipe. Place the almost bark on a chopping block and start shaving off shreds of the almost bark by scraping a knife against it. It's a time-consuming process, but your taste buds will appreciate the subtle flavor from the flakes as opposed to large, bitter chunks.








Melting


You can reduce almond bark to a liquid state to coat treats or use as a dipping sauce. You can't just throw the bark in a skillet and expect it to melt like butter, though. Shred the almond bark into the top compartment of a double boiler. A double boiler is a set of pots that stack. The bottom compartment boils water to heat the top compartment. The heat in the top compartment melts the almond bark without burning it. Stir the almond bark often as it melts.


Keep It Smooth


Almond bark can make a tasty, melted base for a chocolate fountain, but it can be difficult to keep in a liquid state. If you feel confident you will be using all the melted almond bark, add a little milk to the mixture to keep it in a liquid state. Use 2 tbsp. of milk for every 2 cups of liquid almond bark. Without that extra bit of moisture, the almond bark will start to harden as it cools.


Mix Flavors


Almond bark doesn't have a pleasant taste by itself, but if you mix it with other foods, it creates a pleasant accent flavor. Some common uses of almond bark include coating sweet fruit or salty pretzels. The flavors help counteract the over bitterness of the almond bark to help dull it. Experiment with different kinds of treats you can dip into the almond bark. Try treats with a salty, sweet or bland taste. Avoid bitter treats, though, or they will accent the bitterness of the almond bark.

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