Who loves the chocolate?

We discovered Grandpa’s Cider Mill (https://sustainabilitea.wordpress.com/2012/11/02/cider-mill/) on our way to The Chocolate Garden, http://www.chocolategarden.com/ in near Colomo, Michigan, where our older daughter wanted to stop to get a gift.  Since I love chocolate, I was more than willing, and this place has been recognized for outstanding truffles by Midwest Living, Elle magazine, USA Today and Food Network.  They also serve and sell drinking chocolate and a variety of chocolate coffee drinks.  In season, there’s a lovely outdoor patio where you may sit, eat and sip, but although the day was gorgeously warm and sunny, the outdoor season had passed.

I have to admit that although I love truffles, I didn’t spend the money, even though everything looked amazing and they did have dark chocolate truffles.  I had a bar of excellent dark chocolate in the van and at home, the following easy to make and definitely delicious dark chocolate smoked almond bar, taken from a Nestle ad:

Sea-Salted Smoky Almond Chocolate Bark

8 oz. dark chocolate, broken into small pieces

½ c. smoked-flavor almonds, coarsely chopped, divided

1/8 t. sea salt (preferably large crystal)

1. Line an 8” baking pan with waxed paper.
2. Microwave small chocolate pieces in small, uncovered, microwave-safe bowl on HIGH (100%) for 45 seconds.  Stir.  If pieces retain some of their original shape, microwave at additional 10-15 second intervals, stirring just until melted.  Stir in ¼ c. almonds.
3. Pour into prepared baking pan.  Sprinkle with remaining almonds.  Tap pan several times to spread chocolate and settle nuts.  Sprinkle with sea salt.  Refrigerate for about 1 hour or until firm.  Break into pieces.  Store in airtight container at room temperature.

Oh, yes.  The answer to the question “Who loves the chocolate?”