Festive Chocolate Bark using the Instant Pot

Delicious toppings on a well tempered base; this Festive Chocolate Bark is made using the Instant Pot.

Making home-made chocolate bark has never been easier! 

Chocolate, that one thing which most people can eat at anytime of the day!  Barks made from dark, milk and white chocolates are always amazing right? 

Have you tried making your own chocolate bark? The pleasure of being able to customize it and add in EVERYTHING you enjoy is unmatched! Plus, this bark recipe uses the Instant Pot to easily melt the chocolate without too much work! 

Video Recipe

            

It is ALMOST Holi and I am thinking of everything Thandai. For those unfamiliar with Thandai, it is an amazing milk based drink made using a special spice blend that has nuts, seeds and rose petals. Find the recipe for Thandai here. 

This year I am using the ingredients of the masala and adding them to chocolate to make a delicious Thandai flavored dark chocolate bark.

As the name suggests, the two ingredients here are thandai masala and chocolate. But what about the Instant Pot you ask? The Instant Pot is used to make a double boiler and melt the chocolate in it. 

A perfect setup that ensures no burns, no reheating chocolate and no compromise on the signature luster that a good chocolate has! 

 

What is Tempering?

Tempering is a process that is REQUIRED in chocolate making. It is the process of heating and cooling the chocolate to stabilize it. This step gives chocolate a perfect smooth and gloss finish and keeps it from melting in the fingers.

Tempering is generally done at temperatures below 130 F. Chocolate is sensitive and above that temperature the chocolate will 'seize'. 

The process needs a double boiler setup and the chocolate should be in a bowl that is in contact with steam from boiling water below. Bear in mind that the bowl, spatula and everything around chocolate should be free from water. A single drop can completely ruin the chocolate! 

 

Tempering using the Instant Pot

Now that we understand what is tempering and why we need to do it, let us see how to temper chocolate. 

There are several ways to temper chocolate. From using a double boiler on the stove to microwave and finally the Instant Pot. I have tried it all and find the Instant Pot is the easiest and safest method to temper. 

When tempering using a stove, All you need is a double boiler setup. Water boiling in a pan and another pan on top with the chocolate melting. This might lead to vapor escaping from the boiler and seizing the chocolate. If the heat is turned off, you will need to start the gas again as the water cools pretty quickly.

Using the microwave is easy as putting the chocolate in a glass bowl and heating for intervals of 30 seconds. This method is quick but not foolproof. Sometimes the chocolate does get too hot and spoil. 

Instant Pot method is similar to the stovetop method but we make use of an awesome feature called 'KEEP WARM'. This feature keeps the water warm and the chocolate will remain molten throughout the process! No more burns and no more seizing chocolate! 

 

To make this Thandai flavored Bark

As we are approaching Holi, I made this chocolate bark with the flavors of Thandai. Nuts, seeds and rose petals are the essence of this bark. 

However, this recipe works PERFECTLY for any kind of festival or even for a party. The ingredients needed for this one are:

Chocolate: I started off with dark chocolate. However, white chocolate or milk chocolate will work well too. Make your pick based on what you like. 

However, given the add-ins; I would strongly recommend dark chocolate or a mix of dark and white. 

There are three types of chocolates: melting chips, bars and smaller baking chips. From these three, bars work the BEST and baking chips will be the worst. These chips are hard and take super long to melt. They are perfect in cookies but not for barks. For this recipe, I love this one. 

Nuts: For this bark I used cashews, almonds and pistachios. However, if there is a nut allergy, these can be left out. Adding walnuts, hazelnuts and pecans is a great idea too! 

Seeds and spices: A classic thandai powder has poppy seeds, fennel, saffron, rose petals and cardamom. From these I added a few and left out the others. I was not sure if cardamom and chocolate would be a great combination but I guess I will try some next time! 

Sprinkles: What is Holi without color right? So I added some sprinkles to the bark. This is optional and you can add some different shapes of sprinkles too! 

All of these ingredients can be customized based on liking, so pick your favorites and leave out the rest! 

Steps to make the Chocolate Bark

1- Add 2 ½ cups water in the base of the Instant Pot. Set mode to Sauté and normal.

2- Once the water starts to boil, press cancel and press Keep Warm. Place a glass or steel bowl on the Instant Pot. Add dark chocolate to it.

3- Let the melt. The heat from the water will be enough to melt all the chocolate. Stir a couple of times while the chocolate melts.

4- Once the chocolate is completely molten, stir well to get a perfect glaze.

5- Pour the chocolate on a silicone mat or parchment paper. Using a spatula spread the chocolate in a thin layer.

6- Sprinkle almonds, cashews, pistachios, poppy seeds, saunf, colorful sprinkle and rose petals evenly on the chocolate.

 

7-Transfer the mat in the refrigerator for 12-15 minutes so that the chocolate sets.

 

8- Remove, break into bite size pieces and store in an air tight container up to 3 weeks.

Looking for more Holi recipes? Try these and you will enjoy them for sure! 

No-bake Thandai Cheesecake

Air Fryer Gujiya ( Indian Sweet Pastry)

Ricotta Cheese Gulab Jamun

Thandai | Spiced Milk Drink

Baked Thandai Gujiya

More Diwali Recipes