Ingredients:
- 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate (about 2 cups chopped)
- 1 cup chopped vanilla meringue cookies
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- zest of one orange
Preparation:
1. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with aluminum foil and set aside for now.
2. Chop the chocolate into small pieces. If you would like your bark to be able to hold up well at room temperature, temper the chocolate following these instructions and skip step 3. If you are fine keeping your bark in the refrigerator, simply melting the chocolate will be enough; proceed to step 3.
3. Place the chopped chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave until melted, stirring after every 30 seconds to prevent overheating. Heat until the chocolate is completely melted, then stir until smooth.
4. While the chocolate is melting, coarsely chop the meringue cookies until they are in pieces about the size of a fingernail. Set aside two tablespoons of the chopped meringues and one tablespoon of the cranberries to use as a topping.
5. Once the chocolate is melted, add the zest of one orange, the chopped meringues, and the cranberries. Stir until all the ingredients are completely coated with chocolate, then pour the candy out onto the foil-covered baking sheet.
6. Use a knife or offset spatula to spread the chocolate bark into a thin, even layer. While the chocolate is still wet, sprinkle the top with the reserved chopped meringues and cranberries and press gently to adhere them to the surface.
7. Refrigerate the bark to set the chocolate, about 20 minutes. Once the chocolate has hardened, break the bark into small irregular pieces. Store Meringue Chocolate Bark in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
