Crunchy Matcha Bark, Broken by Hand

You can break a sheet of marbled chocolate by hand, without a mold for every piece. These homemade matcha confections don't require shaping each bite. The crunchy bark combines 7 oz (200 g) dark chocolate, 3.5 oz (100 g) white chocolate, about 1 tbsp (6 g) matcha, coconut and pumpkin seeds. Allow 1 hour 13 minutes for about twelve pieces.

• Preparation 20 minutes
• Melting the chocolate 8 minutes
• Setting 45 minutes
• Total 1 hour 13 minutes
• Yield 12 pieces
• Equipment baking sheet, parchment paper, two dry heatproof bowls, saucepan, fine sieve, two spatulas and the tip of a knife

Keep the matcha in the white chocolate so its green ribbons show when you marble the bark.

Matcha crunchy bark ingredients

• 7 oz (200 g) dark baking chocolate
• 3.5 oz (100 g) white baking chocolate
• About 1 tbsp (6 g) matcha
• 0.7 oz (20 g) unsweetened desiccated coconut
• 0.7 oz (20 g) pumpkin seeds

How to make matcha crunchy bark

1. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Chop the 7 oz (200 g) dark chocolate.
3. Pour about 3/4 inch (2 cm) water into a saucepan.
4. Bring the water to a gentle simmer over low heat.
5. Set the dark chocolate in a dry bowl over the water, without letting the bottom touch it.
6. Melt the dark chocolate for about 4 minutes, stirring.
7. Spread it on the parchment in an approximately 8 inches by 10 inches (20 × 25 cm) rectangle.
8. Chop the 3.5 oz (100 g) white chocolate.
9. Melt it in the second dry bowl over the water bath for about 4 minutes.
10. Take the bowl off the heat.
11. Sift about 1 tbsp (6 g) matcha into the melted white chocolate.
12. Mix until the color is even.
13. Drizzle the matcha white chocolate over the still-soft dark chocolate.
14. Draw a few curves through both chocolates with the tip of a knife.
15. Scatter the 0.7 oz (20 g) coconut and 0.7 oz (20 g) pumpkin seeds over the sheet.
16. Refrigerate the sheet for 45 minutes.
17. Break the set bark into about twelve pieces.

We prefer marbling the two chocolates while the dark layer is still soft. The pattern holds better than it would after that layer hardens, though just a few passes of the knife are enough. Too much mixing would erase the green areas.

Which matcha goes with white chocolate?

For this sweet bark, we use our Essence powder for baking. Its about 1 tbsp (6 g) blends into the white chocolate; in dark chocolate alone, its color and flavor would be less noticeable. Mix it in before drawing the marble pattern, while the layer below is still soft.

How is bark different from molded chocolates?

This sheet breaks into pieces of uneven thickness; molded chocolates take an even shape from their cavities. Here, dry coconut keeps the crunch. A moist filling would soften the surface.

Our tip. Keep the underside of each bowl dry when taking it off the water bath. A drop of water in melted chocolate can make it thick and hard to marble.

Allergens. White chocolate contains milk. Check the labels of both chocolates for soy and possible tree nuts.