Have you ever tried DIY chocolate bars? I am a big fan of this recipe: it’s effortless, delicious, and so pretty they can be made as a gift to friends and family. You can never go wrong with chocolate and a variety of nuts for the filling, but if you are looking for something a bit extra, go for these Dark Chocolate Bars with Rosewater Turkish Delights, Pistachio & Candied Ginger.
If you’re a regular reader of my blog you will remember similar recipes I shared previously, like the homemade nutty chocolate bars which are inspired by a Nigella Lawson recipe. Well today I am sharing these Turkish Delight, Candied Ginger & Pistachio chocolate bars which were inspired by London-based chef Tom Cenci and his Ginger & Rose Rocky Roads.
The flavour combinations of rose and ginger, dark chocolate and pistachio definitely piqued my curiosity. I wanted to try them, but they were only available to buy in London, so… I recreated the chocolate bars at home! And now, with this recipe, you can do so too.
Dark Chocolate Bars filled with Turkish Delights, Candied Ginger and Pistachios
The four main ingredients of this recipe are: dark chocolate, rose flavoured Turkish Delights, candied ginger and pistachios.
Turkish Delights
Turkish Delights are a sweet, aromatic, chewy and gel-like confection made of starch and sugar and dusted with icing sugar. They are usually flavoured with rose water (but also, bergamot, lemon, or mastic) and can be filled with dates, pistachios, hazelnuts, and walnuts etc. Turkish Delights, as the name suggests, come from Turkey, though they are popular across all Arabic countries and also Eastern Europe.
Candied Ginger
Candied (or caramelised/crystallised ginger) is ginger slices or chunks cooked in sweet syrup and rolled in white sugar. You can make your own homemade candied ginger too and it will be more flavourful and vibrant than the store-bought kind. A great recipe for this is on David Lebovitz blog.
I buy candied ginger from my local BIO organic food store so I know it’s made with good quality ingredients. I love eating candied ginger on its own – a healthy, refreshing and tasty snack – but I also love it in these chocolate bars!
Pistachio Nuts
The last ingredient of these homemade dark chocolate bars is pistachio nuts. I often add pistachios to cookies and cakes and, in my opinion, you can never go wrong with them! Ginger and pistachios make such great pairings with dark chocolate, don’t you agree?
If you love pistachios, here are some of my favourite recipes with them: hamantaschen with pistachio butter, gluten free pistachio cookies, and Sabrina Ghayour’s carrot, pistachio & coconut cake.
No baking required!
These Dark Chocolate Bars with Turkish Delights, Pistachio & Candied Ginger can be prepared in just 10 minutes, plus 1-2 hours in the fridge.
After they are ready, you can store them in an airtight container for several weeks. I have a large batch of chocolate bars; the last few bars of this batch I made for the blog lasted in my fridge for over a month and still tasted as good as the first day.
Recipe Notes:
When it comes to 3 fillings for these chocolate bars (ie. Turkish Delights, candied ginger, pistachios), I am giving you a range of grams to use, between 100 and 120 grams. This is because there is no perfect ratio that suits everyone: it is really up to you and your taste. If you like to taste more of the dark chocolate, limit the weight of each topping to 100g (this is the amount I used for the bars you see pictured here). If you like your chocolate bars to be packed full of flavours and entirely studded with Turkish Delight or candied ginger – or if you want more of a crunch from the nuts – then increase the dose to 120-130 grams per topping.
Optional Ingredient:
You can also add crushed biscuits (like in this Turkish Mozaic Cake recipe) to add even more flavours to the candy bars! These biscuits would all work very well here: rich tea biscuits, Amaretti, Digestive and Ginger Nuts.
Ingredients
- 400g dark chocolate
- 110ml unsalted butter, melted
- 3 tbsp golden syrup (you can sub with maple syrup)
- 100-120g rose flavour Turkish Delights
- 100-120g candied ginger
- 100-120g shelled pistachios
Preparation
In a saucepan, break up the chocolate into pieces and add the butter and golden syrup. Melt gently under low heat.
Tip the Turkish Delights, ginger and pistachios into a bowl. Take the melted chocolate off the heat and pour over the mix. Fold and stir with a spatula until all the ingredients are coated well with chocolate.
Pour the mixture into a silicone mold or a baking tin lined with parchment paper (approx. 30x20x5cm). Smooth the top of the mixture and make sure it gets into all the corners.
Place in the fridge for at least 2 hours or until the chocolate is set. Gently remove from the mold.
Slice the bars to approximately 1 inch thick (the inside of the slice will have the vibrant colours of the Turkish Delights, candied ginger and pistachios).
Serve at room temperature. Store in an airtight container for 4-6 weeks or in the freezer for 3 months.
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