Ina Garten's French Chocolate Bark ~ adapted

It's nearing Valentine's Day and I thought this would be a nice gift for that someone special in your life.

The thing that caught my eye when I watched Ina make it, was that it is just so darn easy to make.  And with Ina Garten, I feel you can't go wrong in the flavor department.  She spares no expense with her ingredients.  Most of the time I can cut corners with her recipes, but this is one of those times I feel you cannot. 

These are fabulous chocolates, and I used whole salted cashews and papaya chunks from Whole Foods.  I don't usually buy my ingredients there, but something special like this, I broke my own rules.  And it was worth it, these chocolates are fabulous.

Ina used apricots, cranberries and cashews.  The only thing that I noticed about the recipe, is that I had a lot of nuts and papaya chunks leftover.  So, if you want to save a few dollars, you can cut back on the amounts you are buying.

I stored mine in the refrigerator overnight and they dulled just a bit.  So if you are giving them as a gift, then make them the same day, which takes all of five minutes to do.  Just store them in a cool place, but not in the refrigerator.

Ingredients

• 8 ounces very good  semisweet chocolate finely chopped
• 8 ounces very good bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1 cup whole roasted, salted cashews
• 1 cup chopped dried apricots (I used dried papaya)
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries (I did not use)

Directions

Melt the 2 chocolates in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water.
Meanwhile, line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Using a ruler and a pencil, draw a 9 by 10-inch rectangle on the paper. Turn the paper facedown on the baking sheet.
Pour the melted chocolate over the paper and spread to form a rectangle, using the outline. Sprinkle the cashews, apricots and cranberries over the chocolate. Set aside for 2 hours until firm. Cut the bark in 1 by 3-inch pieces and serve at room temperature.