
End of the year means holidays and entertaining, and friends and family. With all this going on festive time can get expensive. Last year I started a new tradition – homemade hostess gifts using candied nuts and flavoured sugar. These were so well received by my friends that I decided to make it an annual tradition.
When Lindt Chocolate invited me to meet with one their Maîtres de Chocolatiers and learn about chocolate I knew I had to say YES! The experience was amazing. I learnt that not only does Lindt Chocolate make glorious chocolate, they are also committed to a high standard of ethics and sustainability. That means the chocolate that you buy is delicious AND it’s giving back to the people who deserve it – the farmers.
After the session, I came away filled with inspiration, as well as tips and techniques for working with chocolate.
Did you know:
- When tempering chocolate, do not let the melted liquid reach a temperature higher than 33 degrees.
- Use Silpat instead of parchment paper – it will be easier to handle the chocolate. I learned my lesson early in working with chocolate.
- When making chocolate bark use chocolate with cacao no more than 70%, the flavour will be unbeatable.
And boy were they right! One of the recipes I learned was for Chocolate bark – just what I needed for homemade hostess gifts.
Pistachio Chocolate Bark With Himalayan Pink Salt

Recipe for Homemade Chocolate Bark
Ingredients
- 4 bars of 100 grams each dark choc – chopped
- 1/2 cup of chopped roasted pistachios
- A sprinkle of Himalayan salt
- I also tried other toppings – see below.
Steps
- Melt and temper the chocolate. See tips below
- Add the pistachios to the melted chocolate. Stir to combine.
- Spread on a baking tray lined with silpat.
- Sprinkle with some more pistachios and press them down with parchment paper.
- Refrigerate for 5-10 minutes to let it set.
- Let it sit on the counter (at room temperature).
- Store in an airtight container, in a cool place.

Tips From My Kitchen
- Ideally one needs a double boiler to temper chocolate. Since I don’t have one (and I refuse to buy another kitchen utensil) I put together a make-shift solution – a small Pyrex glass bowl that fixes on top of a pan with boiling water. Don’t let the bowl touch the boiling water otherwise, the chocolate will seize.
- I tried different toppings – candied orange peels and nuts were by far my favourite. Experiment with the flavours you like and customize the recipe with your favourites.
Disclaimer: This post was inspired by a visit with the Lindt chocolatiers and I came away with samples. The narrative and opinion is mine.
Milk chocolate is my favourite.
White chocolate! MMM Thanks!
Dark chocolate is mine, when I was younger it was white.
I love milk chocolate.
I LOVE dark chocolate
milk is a favorite
Milk chocolate is my fav, and I always have some Lindt`s in the house around Christmas time.
… chocolate with peanut butter anything! 🙂
I love Milk Chocolate as well as mint Chocolate! My hubby loves white chocolate and he is a big fan of Lindt!
Oh, and it definitely has to be milk chocolate too. 😉
I like dark chocolate
we like milk choc – but ALL chocolate is good
Dark chocolate is my favorite!
I love anything with Dark Chocolate, but in a pinch I would go with any type of chocolate!
Milk chocolate is my favourite!
I love milk chocolate, and we have a Lindt store not too far from our house! (So delicious, Lindt!)
I like dark chocolate and most with nuts 🙂
My favourite kind of chocolate is Milk Chocolate!
I love dark chocolate with toffee bits!
Well to be honest I love each and every piece of chocolate I can get my hands on lol . But I love a homemade white chocolate peppermint candy bark . Anything with a bit of spice as well so delish .
Milk chocolate is my absolute favourite.
I like dark chocolate.
My favourite chocolate is lindors hazelnut filled chocolates.
I love dark chocolate.
I LIKE WHITE PEPPERMINT CHOCOLATE BUT I HAVEN’T TRIED A CHOCOLATE THAT I DIDN’T LIKE
Love Dark Chocolate
Milk chocolate has always been my favourite.
I love milk chocolate, particularly Lindt’s Salted Caramel.
I love milk chocolate with nuts. I am not a fun of fillings inside.
I love dark chocolate with almonds the best!
I love milk chocolate.
my favorite is white chocolate
Milk Chocolate LINDT is my fave!! I always buy Lindy this time of year!
I love milk chocolate – especially Lindt truffle
Milk chocolate is my fave, followed by white chocolate
Milk Chocolate 🙂 YUM!!!!
My favourite chocolate is the chocolate in my mouth! I usually go for milk but I do get cravings for dark and white.
I love the Lindt Milk shaped chocolate like the bears and santas etc.
My favourite is milk chocolate.
I love milk chocolate!
I’m a chocolateholic and I love ALL KINDS of chocolate, I’m not picky as long as I have chocolate and wine I’m happy 🙂 happy holidays to you and your family
any with sea salt or chilis yum
I love dark chocolate
i love salted caramel chocolate….yum
I love a really good dark chocolate.
Dark chocolate……….or ANY chocolate
I am pregnant so I can say any. lol. I am not a big fan of dark choc though.
Any chocolate made by Lindt makes my heart happy! This year, I insisted the kids had Lindt advent calendars – so good!
I love all types of chocolate, but dark chocolate is my favorite.
Dark and bitter chocolate for me.