Chocolate bark recipes are always fun and simple to make.  Try any of the recipes below and you won’t be disappointed.  All combine chocolate with dried fruit and nuts—just choose your nut and enjoy!

Ingredients:

1-1/2   cups walnuts, halved (about 6 oz)
8          oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1          cup Brownwood Acres Montmorency Dried Tart Cherries, coarsely chopped
2          Tbsp crystallized ginger, finely chopped

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Spread the walnuts on a baking sheet and toast for 8 minutes, or until golden and fragrant.  Let cool, coarsely chop.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or wax paper.  Place chocolate in a double boiler over hot water.  Stir often with a rubber spatula so it melts evenly.  Remove the top pan and wipe dry.  Stir in the remaining chocolate until thoroughly melted and smooth.  Combine chocolate, walnuts, cherries and crystallized ginger in a bowl and stir until evenly coated.  Scrape the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and spread it into a 12×8 inch rectangle.  Refrigerate for 10 minutes, or until firm enough to cut.

Cut the bark into 48 pieces (6 by 8 rows) and transfer to a plate.  Serve cold or at room temperature.

Yield:  48 pieces

Chocolate Bark with Dried Cherries and Pistachios

Adapted From EatingWell Magazine Fall 2003

Ingredients:

3/4      cup roasted, shelled pistachios (3 oz), coarsely chopped
3/4      cup Brownwood Acres Montmorency Dried Tart Cherries, chopped
1          tsp freshly grated orange zest
24       oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped, divided

Directions:

Line the bottom and sides of a jelly-roll pan or baking sheet with foil.  (Take care to avoid wrinkles.) Toss pistachios with the cherries in a medium bowl.  Divide the mixture in half; stir orange zest into 1 portion.

Melt 18 ounces of the chocolate in a double boiler over hot water.  Stir often with a rubber spatula so it melts evenly.   Remove the top pan and wipe dry.  Stir in the remaining 6 ounces chocolate, in 2 additions, until thoroughly melted and smooth.

Add the pistachio mixture containing the orange zest to the chocolate; stir to mix well. Working quickly, scrape the chocolate onto the prepared pan, spreading it to an even 1/4-inch thickness with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle the remaining pistachio mixture on top; gently press it into the chocolate with your fingertips.  Refrigerate, uncovered, just until set, about 20 minutes.

Invert the pan onto a large cutting board.  Remove the pan and peel off the foil. Using the tip of a sharp knife, score the chocolate lengthwise with 6 parallel lines. Break bark along the score lines.  Break the strips of bark into 2- to 3-inch chunks.

TIP: Make ahead and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Yield: 4 dozen pieces

Chocolate Bark with Ginger, Dried Cherries and Pistachios

Adapted From Fine Cooking 101, September 3, 2009

Ingredients:

6          oz (1 cup) bittersweet dark chocolate, chopped (70% to 72% cacao)
2          oz (1 /3 cup)  white chocolate, chopped (optional)
3          Tbsp chopped salted pistachios
3          Tbsp Brownwood Acres Montmorency Dried Tart Cherries
2          Tbsp chopped crystallized ginger

Directions:

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over hot water.  Stir often with a rubber spatula so it melts evenly.  Remove the top pan and wipe dry.   Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat, parchment paper, or waxed paper.  Spread the melted dark chocolate into an approximately 8×5-inch rectangle.

If using the white chocolate, melt it in the same manner as the dark chocolate and drizzle it in a zigzag pattern across the dark chocolate.

Sprinkle with the chopped pistachios, dried cherries, and ginger and press gently to set them into the chocolate.  Chill in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.  Break into pieces and serve.  Store any leftovers in the refrigerator.

Yield:  4 servings

These easy cookies are so simple- – just stir and bake.

Ingredients:

1         cup flour
1/4     cup wheat germ
1/2     tsp baking soda
1/2     tsp salt
1/4     tsp ground ginger
1         large egg
3/4     cup canola oil
1         tsp vanilla extract
1/2     cup quick-cooking, old fashioned oats
2         oz white chocolate, chopped
1/3     cup Brownwood Acres Montmorency Dried Wild Blueberries or Brownwood Acres Montmorency Dried Tart Cherries
1/4     cup crystallized ginger, chopped

Directions:

Position racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 375 degrees.  Whisk flour, wheat germ, baking soda, salt and ground ginger in a small bowl.  Whisk egg, brown sugar, oil and vanilla in a large bowl.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients; stir to combine.   Add oats, chocolate, blueberries, or cherries and crystallized ginger; stir just to combine.   Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto 2 ungreased baking sheets, 1-1/2 inches apart.  Bake the cookies until puffed and barely golden around the edges, switching the pans back to front and top to bottom halfway through, 8 to 10 minutes.  Cool on the pans for 2 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Yield: 2 dozen cookies

A great family tradition recipe adapted from a recipe by Linda Croley found at www.eatingwell.com is easy to prepare.

Ingredients:

1         cup packed light brown sugar
1/2      cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2      cup smooth natural peanut butter
1/2      tsp ground cinnamon
1          large egg
1          tsp vanilla extract
1-1/2   cups all-purpose flour
1/2      tsp baking powder
1/2      tsp baking soda
1/2      tsp salt
8        oz Brownwood Acres Montmorency Dried Tart Cherries, chopped
1/3     cup walnuts, chopped

Drizzle

8          oz white chocolate chips (see Tip)
1          Tbsp canola oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°F.  Beat brown sugar, butter, peanut butter and cinnamon in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until well mixed. Add egg and vanilla; continue beating until well mixed. Reduce speed to low. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; beat until well mixed, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary. Stir in dried cherries and walnuts. Refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour before baking.

Use a small scoop (1 3/8 to 1 1/2-inch) and drop balls of dough 2 inches apart onto an ungreased baking sheet. (If you do not have a scoop, shape the dough by hand into 1- to 1 1/4-inch balls.) Gently press each ball to flatten slightly.

Bake the cookies until the edges are lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.  To decorate: Place white chocolate and oil in a small microwave-safe bowl and microwave on Medium, stirring every 30 seconds, until the chocolate is melted and smooth. To drizzle, dip a fork in the chocolate then wave it over a cookie to create a lacy finish (see Variations). Let the chocolate set for at least 1 hour.

Variations: Instead of drizzling, dip the top side of the cooled cookies in melted white or dark chocolate and sprinkle with chopped walnuts.

MAKE AHEAD TIP: Prepare the dough (Step 2), cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day. Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Yield:  3 dozen cookie

This  recipe by Jacque Torres, found at  www.foodandwine.com, looks delicious as well as fun!

Here is the chocolate lovers’ cookie: a deeply rich, moist cookie speckled with hazelnuts, pistachios and dried cherries.

Ingredients:

1/2      cup hazelnuts
2          lbs bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
6          oz unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
1/2      cup plus 3 tablespoons flour
2-3/4   tsp baking powder
1-1/4   tsp salt
6          Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
2-1/4   cups sugar
5          large eggs, at room temperature
1/2      cup salted pistachios, chopped
1/2      cup chopped Brownwood Acres Montmorency Dried Tart Cherries

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°.  Toast the hazelnuts in a pie plate for 12 minutes, until the skins blister.  Transfer to a towel and rub to remove the skins.  Coarsely chop the nuts.

In a large bowl set over a pan of simmering water, melt 1 pound of the bittersweet chocolate with all of the unsweetened chocolate.  Let cool completely.

In a small bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt.  In the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with the paddle, beat the butter at medium speed until creamy. Beat in the sugar until sandy.  Beat in the eggs, then beat in the melted chocolate.  At low speed, beat in the dry ingredients.  Fold in the pistachios, cherries, hazelnuts and the remaining bittersweet chocolate.

For each cookie, scoop 2 tablespoons of dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and roll into a ball; space them about 1 1/2 inches apart.  Bake in batches for 15 minutes, just until the tops are lightly cracked; shift the sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through for even baking.  Transfer the sheets to racks to cool slightly, then transfer the cookies to a rack.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Yield:   5 dozen cookies

Serve this dessert at your next Holiday dinner party or it also makes a great appetizer.  Either way this cake bakes up so beautifully; it is light and tangy so you will enjoy this treat no matter how it is served.  I have added a dessert topping using frozen Montmorency cherries and FruitFast Montmorency Cherryflex Liquid Fruit Supplement, but this recipe is so good on its own, a simple drizzle any of the FruitFast Liquid Fruit Supplements over the top will suffice.  As a milk sensitive individual, I am always looking for recipes that I can eat without any problems.   I use goat cheese and sheep cheese as a substitute whenever I can.  The following recipe comes from www.culinaryconcoctionsbypeabody.com/2007/08/03/get-your-goat/ and has been in my collection for awhile, but I did not prepare it until recently.  I regret  not using this recipe sooner, as it is WONDERFUL!
Bon Appetit!

Ingredients:
10     oz goat cheese
1/4    cup sugar
2     Tbsp honey
1     tsp vanilla
1     tsp lemon zest
1     tsp lemon juice
6     eggs, separated
3     Tbsp flour

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Combine cheese, sugar, honey, vanilla, zest and juice. Mix well. Add egg yolks, two at a time, mixing to combine after each addition. Stir in flour. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gently fold whites into cheese batter. Pour into well-greased 9 – inch, round baking pan, or springform pan. Bake 25-30 minutes or until wooden skewer comes out clean. Invert onto large plate and cool.

Montmorency Cherry Orange-Cherry Compote

1     cup frozen Montmorency Tart Cherries
1/3     cup orange juice (no pulp)
2     Tbsp honey
1     tsp cornstarch
2    Tbsp FruitFast Montmorency Cherry Liquid Fruit Supplement
splashes of Grand Marnier

Directions:

Whisk together orange juice and cornstarch, making sure it dissolves so there are not clumps. Place the cherries, juice/cornstarch mixture, and honey in a sauce pan. Turn on medium heat. Cool, stirring every 30 seconds or so until it has thickened up.  If it takes forever to thicken, mix a little more cornstarch with a small amount of orange juice and add to the mixture. Remove from heat and add the FruitFast Liquid Fruit Supplement and  splashes of Grand Marnier to taste. Spoon over the Goat Cheese Cake.

Back-to-school calls for healthy breakfast and afternoon snacks for the youngsters.  This easy make-ahead recipe is perfect for on-the-go breakfasts or a quick and healthy afternoon snack.  The ingredients are readily available and, in just under an hour, your snack bars are ready to go.  They can be zipped into a baggie as a take along for your mid-morning coffee break at work.

But if you just don’t want to bother with making your own bars, try ours. FruitFast Bars are healthy, delicious and oh-so-convenient.

(Adapted from an Associated Press recipe Oatmeal, Raspberry and Peach Snack Bars)

1/3    cup orange juice (about 1 small freshly squeezed)
2    Tbsp cornstarch
2    Tbsp light brown sugar (packed)
1/2     cup light brown sugar (packed)
1-1/2    cups raspberries (fresh or frozen)
1-1/2     cups diced peaches (fresh or frozen) you can substitute apples for all or part
1/2    cup Brownwood Acres Montmorency dried tart cherries
1 /4    cup walnuts (or nut of your choice, optional)
1-1/2    cups quick rolled oats
3/4    cup flour
1/2    cup butter, softened
1    tsp baking soda
1    egg, lightly beaten

In a medium saucepan combine the orange juice, cornstarch and 2 Tbsp brown sugar.  Add the raspberries, peaches, and/or apples.  Over medium heat stir the mixture until simmering and thickened.  Add the dried cherries and walnuts and stir to combine.  Set aside to cool.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Coat a 9” x 9” or 7” x 11” baking dish with oil or cooking spray.

In a mixing bowl combine the oats, flour, baking soda,  1/2 cup brown sugar and butter.  Mix together with a fork until crumbly.  Remove approximately 1 cup of the mixture and set-aside.  Add the egg to the mixing bowl combination and stir to incorporate and pour mixture into the bottom of the baking dish pressing to the bottom of the dish.  Next, spread the fruit filling evenly over the top and sprinkle the remaining cup of oat mixture on top of the fruit.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until bubbling and top is lightly browned.  Remove from the oven and place on cooling rack.  Cool completely before cutting.

Yield:  16 bars

It’s harvest time for the red tart cherry crop and with the abundance of this wonderful fruit, you’ve come to the right place to find cherry recipes.

Here’s a delicious cherry juice recipe that will bring good eating to family and friends and accolades to the cook.  Baking from scratch means you know exactly what ingredients you are using for best results and a healthier outcome without the preservatives and chemicals used in packaged mixes.

This cherry-berry dessert is a variation from a recent WebMD.com version and is simple and quick – one that uses fresh fruit, preserves and FruitFast CherryFlex or Mixed Berry Liquid for delectable brownies that are super moist.

Chocolate Cherry Berry Brownies

Ingredients

1 2/3    confectioner’s sugar
1/2       cup whole wheat or unbleached flour
1/4       cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4       tsp baking powder
1/8       tsp salt
1 1/2    ounces (1 1/2 squares) unsweetened chocolate
2 1/2    Tbsp canola
2           large egg whites – unbeaten
1           cup raspberries – fresh or frozen
2           tsp CherryFlex or Mixed Berry Liquid Fruit Supplement (or use 1 Tbsp FruitFast Cherry Juice Concentrate)
2           Tbsp cherry, raspberry or mixed berry preserves

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Use a small 9” X 9” dish lined with foil, wrapping the excess foil over the handles.  Coat with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, mix the confectioner’s sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt.  In a large microwaveable bowl, combine the chocolate and oil.  Microwave on high power for one minute.  Stir until the chocolate is completely melted. Stir in the egg whites, preserves, and FruitFast Liquid.   Stir in the flour mixture just until blended.  Fold in fruit.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and spread evenly.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.  Cool completely before cutting and serving.

This is a refreshing, light dessert.

Ingredients:
4     tsp artificially sweetened dry ice tea mix
1-1/4     cups water
2     Tbsp lemon juice
3     cups frozen tart cherries
Directions:
Combine dry tea mix with water and lemon juice, stirring until completely dissolved.  Place half of tea mixture in blender container or food processor. Add half of frozen cherries.  Process until almost smooth. Repeat with remaining tea and cherries.

Serve immediately. Freeze any remaining sorbet.  When ready to serve frozen sorbet, place pieces of sorbet in blender or food processor; process to soften.

Makes about 3 cups

Dried cherries add a tangy flavor to the traditional cherry pie.

Ingredients:
4     cups frozen unsweetened tart cherries
1    cup Brownwood Acres Montmorency Dried Tart Cherries
1     cup granulated sugar
2     Tbsp quick cooking tapioca
1/2     tsp almond extract
1    pastry for 2-crust, 9-inch pie (use refrigerated pie crust) 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1     Tbsp butter

Directions:
Combine frozen cherries, dried cherries, granulated sugar, tapioca and almond extract in a large mixing bowl; mix well. (It is not necessary to thaw cherries before using.) Let cherry mixture stand 15 minutes.

Line a 9-inch pie plate with pastry; fill with cherry mixture. Sprinkle with nutmeg. Dot with butter. Adjust top crust, cutting slits for steam to escape.

Bake in a preheated 375-degree oven about 1 hour, or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. If necessary, cover edge of crust with foil to prevent over browning.

Note: 2 (16 ounce) cans unsweetened tart cherries, well drained, can be substituted for frozen tart cherries.

Ingredients:
5     cups fresh or frozen tart cherries (about 2 pounds), pitted
1/2     cup granulated sugar
12     packets heat-stable sugar substitute (such as Splenda)
2     Tbsp quick-cooking tapioca
1/2     tsp almond extract
1    pastry for 2-crust 9-inch pie (used refrigerated pie crust)

Directions:
Combine tart cherries, sugar, sugar substitutes, tapioca, and almond extract in a large bowl; mix well. Let stand 15 minutes. It is not necessary to thaw frozen tart cherries before using.

Line a 9-inch pie plate with half of the pastry. Fill with cherry mixture. Adjust top crust over filling, and cut slits for steam to escape.

Bake in a preheated 375-degree oven for 55-60 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. If necessary, cover edge with aluminum foil to prevent over-browning.