Dark Chocolate Bark with Coffee Roasted Almonds and Goji Berries

In the aftermath of Halloween, I've certainly had my fill of cheap Mars company candies. We bought a giant mixed bag from Sam's club anticipating a lot of trick-or-treaters… And then quickly realized that due to the weather and our location on a cul-du-sac we would have A LOT of leftovers. Needless to say, I am in need of a change up! 

Also, sidenote: there were only like three Twix in the entire giant bag and it was about 60% Three Musketeers. LAME. If anyone actually likes Three Musketeers, just message me and I will mail them all to you! 

Anyway, I have been reading about Goji berries and their super food qualities, and decided to try them out. If you've ever had them, you know it's an interesting taste. They're not overly sweet and have a little spice to them. I love it. It's not something I think I would eat by itself, but they add an interesting twist when combined with other ingredients. I knew they'd be perfect for a bark recipe I had been conjuring up in my head. And on my day off for Veterans Day (bless your heart, veterans) I had some time in the afternoon to bring my dream to life.  

My days off usually falls into 1 of 2  categories. 

1. Super lazy day where I sit around and nothing gets done but make a big dent in my Netflix queue. It's amazing and sometimes necessary!

2. Super productive day where I clean the house, run a million errands, and manage to hang out with several people while also looking amazing and meeting my calorie goal on My Fitness Pal.

I'm having a day of the second variety, so watch out! Also, you should friend me on My Fitness Pal. Let's stay healthy and fit together:) 

And make this bark! Immediately!

Dark Chocolate Bark with Coffee Toasted Almonds and Goji Berries

Makes 1 cookie sheet 

16oz dark chocolate (I use Ghiardelli 60%)

1 1/2 cups raw almonds

1/2 cup coffee grounds 

1 1/2 tbsp cocoa

1/2 tsp cinnamon 

1/2 tbsp sea salt

2 tbsp coconut oil (melted)

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup goji berries

1/2 cup coconut flakes (unsweetened)

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and toast the almonds for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix together the coffee grounds, cocoa and salt in a small bowl. In a separate bowl, melt the coconut oil and combine with the vanilla.

When the almonds come out of the oven, toss in the coconut oil and then in the coffee ground mixture. Flatten on the pan and put back in the oven for 10 more minutes. Watch it closely so it doesn't burn!

While the almonds are roasting, heat the chocolate in a double boiler or in a bowl over boiling water. Stir until melted through and then remove from heat.

When the almonds come out of the oven, eat a few, and then carefully remove the parchment paper from the cookie sheet and spread the coconut out in even layer. Put back in the oven at 325°F and watch closely. Mine took about two minutes to toast! When the coconut flakes are golden brown take them out of the oven.

To assemble the bark, line the cookie sheet with a clean piece of parchment paper. Spread about 3/4 of the chocolate onto the cookie sheet. Sprinkle almonds, coconut, and goji berries over the bark; it's going to be crowded! Generously sprinkle the toasted coffee grounds over the bark as well. I used about half of what I roasted. Sprinkle remaining chocolate over the bark and refrigerate for about 45 minutes. Break, serve, enjoy!