Rainbow Dark Chocolate Bars–Healthy and All Natural Toppings

Next Thursday, March 17th, is St. Patrick’s Day.  I love special occasions because they give me reasons to indulge, without feeling too guilty.  That’s the only time of the year when I prepare Corned Beef and cabbage for my family.  Yes, only once a year.  How about you?  Do you serve Corned Beef more often than once a year?  Speaking of celebration and indulgence without guilt, this Rainbow Dark Chocolate Bar definitely fits these categories!  Click on the YouTube video tutorial above to check out how to make it.  It’s super easy and fun!
 


My Daughter and I were working on her school project “Trap the Leprechaun” for St. Patrick’s Day.  She decorated her project with a hugh 3D rainbow across a shoebox (a.k.a. the trap).  My Daughter’s plan was to put gold pots at the end of the rainbow and doubled sided tapes inside the shoebox to “trap” the Leprechaun.  Will this trap work?  I am not sure.  But one thing I know for sure is that the colorful rainbow makes me feel happy and its so pleasant to look at!  That inspired me to create these Rainbow Dark Chocolate Bars.



These Rainbow Dark Chocolate Bars are topped with colorful and all natural toppings that are healthy and good for you.  You can use any ingredients that you like to create the rainbow color pattern.  I simply used whatever I had on hand.  Also, I tempered the dark chocolate to make the chocolate bars, click here to read more about tempering chocolate if you’re interested.    Did you know that there are many health benefits of eating dark chocolate?  It’s packed with antioxidants and can help lower blood pressure.  Of course, moderation is the key to any treats.  You can read more here if you’re interested.  



Here are the ingredients that I used to create the rainbow pattern; freeze dried strawberries for the red; orange zest for the orange; lemon zest for the yellow; Matcha (Japanese green tea powder) for the green; dried Blue Mallow for the blue; and dried lavender buds for the purple!  Also, be sure to use organic oranges and lemons especially when you’re using the zest.  As for the dried blue mallow, I got them from a tea shop.  It creates the most beautiful and dreamical blue colored tea!  You can read more about its benefits here if you’re interested.  The flavor is subtle and slightly floral.  I’ll list all the ingredients and tools that I used at the end of the post for your reference.



I hope you enjoy today’s recipe and video tutorial.  Thank you for reading and stopping by!  Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Tools and ingredients used:
Chocolate bar mold (Click here for more information)
Dried Lavender Buds (Click here for more information)
Dried Blue Mallow Tea (Click here for more information)
Freeze Dried Strawberries (Click here for more information)
Matcha Powder  (Click here for more information)
Dark Chocolate (Click here for more information)




Disclaimer: Health and General
No information, ingredient or product mentioned on this site is meant to diagnose, treat or replace professional medical advice.  They are my experience, my journey, and my opinions.  Please consult with your doctor before using any of the ingredients or products mentioned here. 


Rainbow Dark Chocolate Bars – Healthy and All Natural
Makes 2 bars

6 ounces dark chocolate, finely chopped
2 tablespoons freeze dried strawberries
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2 teaspoon Matcha, Japanese green tea powder
1 tablespoon dried blue mallow
1 tablespoon dried lavender buds

In a medium pot, bring 1-inch of water to a simmer. Place 3/4 of the chocolate into a heat proof bowl. Place bowl of chocolate over the pot of simmering water and make sure the bottom of the bowl is not touching the water.

Stir constantly until chocolate is melted, around 115 degree F. It’s important not to let chocolate exceed 120 degree F. (Read this post for detail explanation on tempering chocolate: http://utry.it/2013/07/chocolate-dipped-frozen-fruit-bitesand.html)

Remove melted chocolate from heat, stir in the remaining chocolate and let it cool to 82 degree F. Then, reheat the chocolate until it reaches 88 degree F.

Remove from heat and let it cool slightly. Evenly divided the melted chocolate into the molds. Sprinkle/arrange the toppings with the rainbow colors. Starting with the strawberries, orange zest, then lemon zest, Matcha, follow by blue mallow, and last but not least, the lavender.
Let it set at room temperature. If your chocolate is properly tempered, they should set within 20 to 30 minutes.