Chocolate-Almond Wood-Grain Bark
Chocolate-Almond Wood-Grain Bark a wood-grain pattern, is a beautiful way to showcase the two types of chocolate used in this bark.Chocolatiers recommend using acetate paper for chocolate sheets of this nature; Acetate can be ordered online, and is great for keeping that glorious shine on chocolate. However, I used parchment paper for this particular project, and find that it dulls the shine in a way that makes it look more realistic. How many glossy trees have you seen? Think of it this way: acetate = glossy, stained planks; parchment = matte, natural planks.
There are two ways (that I know of) to create the wood-grain pattern: First, with a wood-grain painting tool that can be picked up at most local hardware stores, or ordered online. This is the method you would use for making planks of chocolate for a cake. Second, with a wood-grain silicone mat, used for creating Martha's chocolate-almond bark, or for putting the wood-grain on bars, etc. I got my silicone mat at Chinese Clay Art.
Use dark chocolate, not milk chocolate, for the dark "rings" to really show up. To make the pattern, the chocolate you use first, with the wood-grain tool, is the "ring" color; the second chocolate is spread over the ring pattern, and is the "background", or spacing color. Martha uses the white first, and the milk chocolate second (Check out her tutorial.) For a more realistic look, I use the dark chocolate first, and the white second. This creates dark rings, and natural looking spaces.
Keep your chocolate layers thin- just a couple millimeters. It will be difficult to cut through on the cake if you make it too thick. Also, you'll end up with huge chunks of chocolate in your bites of cake and frosting (which some of you may love); the point is for your design to shine and really stand out. If you are looking for your cake to be super chocolatey, use fudge frosting or ganache under the wood-grain chocolate.
Preparation time: 15 mins
Total time: 1 hr 25 mins
YIELD: One 8-by-12-inch sheet
INGREDIENTS
2 ounces white chocolate, chopped
12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup finely chopped toasted almonds
DIRECTIONS
Bake your cake layers. For this one, I used the "zebra" cake technique to create alternating swirls of chocolate and vanilla in my 2 layersâEUR¦ similar to the wood-grain pattern. Cool them completely.
2.Once your layers are cool, even them out, frost and fill them with whatever you like. I like brushing my cake layers with whiskey caramel, and filling and frosting it with a whiskey caramel butter cream. It is also helpful to reserve a 1/2 cup or so of frosting to fill in any small gaps when you are applying your chocolate later on.
3.Measure your cake's dimensions- height and width. This one is 7.5âEUR³ square, and about 2.75âEUR³ high. You can build your cake to be however many layers and however high you like.
4.Cut parchment/acetate strips with "tabs" at the top to match your cake's dimensions. This means I cut 4 strips that were 7.5âEUR³ by 2.75âEUR³ (one for each of the sides) and one square 7.5âEUR³ by 7.5âEUR³ for the top. You can see in the picture that I left atab of parchment at the top of each strip. *This is very important* You will end up with chocolate covered fingers, and possibly an uneven pattern if you don't have parchment to hold on to while you're pulling the tool through the chocolate.
5.Cover your work surface with parchment paper for each clean up. Melt your chocolates, and set up your wood graining tool and cookie sheets. You will be transferring your strips to it to place in the refrigerator for a few minutes at a time.
6.Work 2 pieces at a time. Put a small dollop (*no more than a tablespoon*) of the dark chocolate at the top of your strip. Holding on to the tab and starting at the top, pull your wood grain tool through the chocolate slowly, using a smooth, rocking motion. (You can Google a wood-grain paint tutorial for example of how to do this.) Vary your rocking motions for each strip so they will all look a little bit different. If you don't like the pattern, you can simply pull your tool through the chocolate again, as long as the chocolate is still melted. You may need to do this once or twice anyway to get this chocolate layer thin enough. You want to be able to see the parchment through the knots. (Note photo below.)
7.Transfer each strip to the cookie sheet. Repeat with the other 2 strips and your top square, and place them in the refrigerator for up to 10 minutes to let them harden. Don't skip this step, as you need your chocolate to be completely hardened and cold for the next step.
8.When your chocolate strips are completely hardened, pull them out 2 at a time and put another dollop (this time 1-2 tablespoons) of white chocolate at the top of the strip. Use an off-set spatula to spread the white chocolate down the strip in one fluid movement. *Use as few strokes as possible* The warm white chocolate will begin to warm up the dark chocolate, and your beautiful knot pattern will become smeared if you move the white chocolate too many times. Keep this layer thin, only a few millimeters thick. Repeat with the other 2 strips, and your top square separately, and immediately put them back in the refrigerator to cool.
There are two ways (that I know of) to create the wood-grain pattern: First, with a wood-grain painting tool that can be picked up at most local hardware stores, or ordered online. This is the method you would use for making planks of chocolate for a cake. Second, with a wood-grain silicone mat, used for creating Martha's chocolate-almond bark, or for putting the wood-grain on bars, etc. I got my silicone mat at Chinese Clay Art.
Use dark chocolate, not milk chocolate, for the dark "rings" to really show up. To make the pattern, the chocolate you use first, with the wood-grain tool, is the "ring" color; the second chocolate is spread over the ring pattern, and is the "background", or spacing color. Martha uses the white first, and the milk chocolate second (Check out her tutorial.) For a more realistic look, I use the dark chocolate first, and the white second. This creates dark rings, and natural looking spaces.
Keep your chocolate layers thin- just a couple millimeters. It will be difficult to cut through on the cake if you make it too thick. Also, you'll end up with huge chunks of chocolate in your bites of cake and frosting (which some of you may love); the point is for your design to shine and really stand out. If you are looking for your cake to be super chocolatey, use fudge frosting or ganache under the wood-grain chocolate.
Preparation time: 15 mins
Total time: 1 hr 25 mins
YIELD: One 8-by-12-inch sheet
INGREDIENTS
2 ounces white chocolate, chopped
12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup finely chopped toasted almonds
DIRECTIONS
Bake your cake layers. For this one, I used the "zebra" cake technique to create alternating swirls of chocolate and vanilla in my 2 layersâEUR¦ similar to the wood-grain pattern. Cool them completely.
2.Once your layers are cool, even them out, frost and fill them with whatever you like. I like brushing my cake layers with whiskey caramel, and filling and frosting it with a whiskey caramel butter cream. It is also helpful to reserve a 1/2 cup or so of frosting to fill in any small gaps when you are applying your chocolate later on.
3.Measure your cake's dimensions- height and width. This one is 7.5âEUR³ square, and about 2.75âEUR³ high. You can build your cake to be however many layers and however high you like.
4.Cut parchment/acetate strips with "tabs" at the top to match your cake's dimensions. This means I cut 4 strips that were 7.5âEUR³ by 2.75âEUR³ (one for each of the sides) and one square 7.5âEUR³ by 7.5âEUR³ for the top. You can see in the picture that I left atab of parchment at the top of each strip. *This is very important* You will end up with chocolate covered fingers, and possibly an uneven pattern if you don't have parchment to hold on to while you're pulling the tool through the chocolate.
5.Cover your work surface with parchment paper for each clean up. Melt your chocolates, and set up your wood graining tool and cookie sheets. You will be transferring your strips to it to place in the refrigerator for a few minutes at a time.
6.Work 2 pieces at a time. Put a small dollop (*no more than a tablespoon*) of the dark chocolate at the top of your strip. Holding on to the tab and starting at the top, pull your wood grain tool through the chocolate slowly, using a smooth, rocking motion. (You can Google a wood-grain paint tutorial for example of how to do this.) Vary your rocking motions for each strip so they will all look a little bit different. If you don't like the pattern, you can simply pull your tool through the chocolate again, as long as the chocolate is still melted. You may need to do this once or twice anyway to get this chocolate layer thin enough. You want to be able to see the parchment through the knots. (Note photo below.)
7.Transfer each strip to the cookie sheet. Repeat with the other 2 strips and your top square, and place them in the refrigerator for up to 10 minutes to let them harden. Don't skip this step, as you need your chocolate to be completely hardened and cold for the next step.
8.When your chocolate strips are completely hardened, pull them out 2 at a time and put another dollop (this time 1-2 tablespoons) of white chocolate at the top of the strip. Use an off-set spatula to spread the white chocolate down the strip in one fluid movement. *Use as few strokes as possible* The warm white chocolate will begin to warm up the dark chocolate, and your beautiful knot pattern will become smeared if you move the white chocolate too many times. Keep this layer thin, only a few millimeters thick. Repeat with the other 2 strips, and your top square separately, and immediately put them back in the refrigerator to cool.
Source...