Guyssss, is it just me or does everything feel so hard right now??? Lately it all just feels hard, I mean the littlest of things feel overwhelming. Oh and the motivation I once had seems to be this mythical creature I am trying to resurrect. I think it is a tale of the times. There is so much happening around us, so much happening around the world … and then so much happening in our own lives.
You know what it is: it is the mental component that seems difficult. Doing the things I once did aren’t hard, it is the mental energy that those things require that seems exhausting. To get myself into a mindset of doing things, being productive etc etc is yup you guessed it … hard!
And lately if it ant easy, I ant doing it. Plain and simple.
And if you all feel the same way I do, you will be elated to know that this recipe requires about 15 mins of effort and then thats it!!
For those of you that don’t know what Paan is, let me start by telling you about Paan. Historically in India, Paan is served as an after dinner treat using a Betel leaf that is folded into a triangle and stuffed with nuts and other items such as tobacco. It is normally chewed and then spat out. Now over the years; various concoctions of this item have been created. And not all of them contain tobacco.
This is my variation on a popular treat in India. To me personally, I love the flavors and smell of Paan. I like the flavors of the sweet ingredients that go into it: such as tutti frooti (jelly like candies), mukwas (mouth freshener) and rose jelly.
I got all of the toppings I used in this recipe from a local Indian grocery store. But you guys can improvise with this. All you need are 1 or 2 ingredients that symbolize Paan to you.
From start to finish this recipe will take you about 20 minutes to prepare and then you just need to let the chocolate set.
Paan Masala Chocolate Bark
Festive fun treat for Diwali
Ingredients
- 1 10oz-12oz Baking Chocolate Chips bag; Semi Sweet or Milk Chocolate I suggest getting a good quality bag chocolate chips; depending on the brand the size will vary. I used a Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips bag from Trader Joe's.
For Garnish
- 1 tsp cardamom powder
- 1 7 oz bag Lacha Sopari
- 1 7 oz bag Tooti Frooti
- 1 7 oz bag Kesar Mukhwas
- 1 7 oz bag Calcutta Meetha Paan Mukhwas
- Rose Petals
Optional
- 1 can Pan Parag Paan Masala **Note contains tobacco of some sort that is used in Paan**
Instructions
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Line a large baking tray with parchment paper or a baking sheet like a silpat.
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Melt chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl in 30 second increments. Make sure to stir in between each time. Make sure to not over heat the chocolate. Should be completely melted in about a minute. After a minute if still not melted switch to 15 second increments. The chocolate is done when it is 90%-95% melted; keep stirring.
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Using a rubber spatula spread chocolate evenly onto the center of the baking sheet. Make sure to spread evenly; it will not cover the entire baking sheet. Aim for a bit of thickness so your bark can have a solid middle. Next sprinkle cardamom powder on top of the chocolate. If you are using Pan Parag Paan Masala you can sprinkle over the chocolate at this time. Next, using a spoonful of each of the topping, sprinkle on top of the chocolate one topping at a time. Once done with all the toppings, lightly use your hands to press the toppings into the chocolate. Do this gently. Place in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours or until hardened.
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Once hardened, using your hands break the chocolate up into pieces.
