Step aside, membrillo. Chocolate is technically a fruit paste in its own way, and there’s no reason you can’t serve a slab of it on your cheese plate. Adapted from Yotam Ottolenghi’s Mint and Pistachio Chocolate Fridge Cake, this recipe was designed to work with whatever you have on hand. Try including your favorite cheese pairings, or any pantry staples you love.
►Line an 8 x 10-inch baking pan or dish with parchment paper.
►Add 10 ounces chopped chocolate, 1 stick cubed unsalted butter, 2 tablespoons light corn syrup, and a pinch of salt to a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Heat for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring often, until melted. Remove from heat.
►Add a combination of seeds, dried fruit, chopped nuts, crumbled cookies, or other toppings amounting to 2 cups total. Stir to combine. (Some ideas: Nibs, gingersnaps, candied citrus peel, salted almonds, rum-soaked raisins.)
►Pour into prepared pan and sprinkle extra chopped nuts or flakey sea salt on top. Cool for 10 minutes, then wrap and refrigerate 2 to 3 hours, until set.
►Lift bark out of pan and break into 2- to 4-inch pieces, or cut with a knife. Serve cold.
Linni Kral
Linni Kral is a writer, editor, activist, and friend living in Brooklyn, with past lives in Boston, L.A., and Chicago. Her writing has been featured in the Atlantic & Atlas Obscura, among others. She’s happiest in the company of cows, books, and groceries.
