This White Chocolate Holiday Bark is as delicious as it is pretty. The white chocolate has a rich creamy taste, and the combination of the sweetness from the chocolate and fruits plus the saltiness from the pistachios is wonderful. Be sure and toast the pistachios and remove the outer papery skin from the nuts before using; toasting the nuts really brings out the nutty flavor.

White Chocolate Holiday Bark

Ingredients:

Bark:

1½ cups shelled pistachio nuts, toasted and skins removed

¾ cup dried cranberries

½ cup golden raisins

24 ounces white chocolate

Directions:

1. Prepare one 11x17x1 inch jelly roll pan. Line the pan with parchment paper, allowing overhang on all sides. Tip: rub a bit of vegetable shortening or butter in the bottom of the pan corners and well as the pan sides to help the parchment paper to stay in place.
   
   Bark:
2. Toast the shelled pistachio nuts, and remove the papery coating.
   

Tip: See Toasting Nuts and Seeds

3. In a medium size mixing bowl, combine the toasted pistachios, dried cranberries, and golden raisins. Stir to mix. Remove and reserve about ¾ cup of this mixture to sprinkle over the top of bark. Set both the larger portion and the ¾ cup aside.
   
   
4. In top of a double boiler over hot water, melt the white chocolate. Remove from the heat just before all the chocolate is melted; stir with a clean and dry rubber spatula to finish melting the remaining chocolate. Tip: Melting white chocolate in top of a double boiler is preferable as it burns easily if melted in a saucepan directly over heat or melted in the microwave. Create a double boiler by filling a saucepan with 2 inches of water and bringing it to a simmer. Turn the heat off and place a stainless steel, ceramic, or glass bowl on top of the hot water, the upper pan should not touch the water.
   
   
5. As soon as the white chocolate is melted, add the larger portion of the fruit and nut mixture and stir with a rubber spatula to completely coat the fruits and nuts. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan, and spread evenly over the bottom of the pan. Tip: use a large offset spatula to help spread the chocolate and smooth out the top.
   
   
6. Sprinkle the reserved ¾ cup of fruit and nuts evenly over the top and use the offset spatula to gently press the fruit and nuts into the chocolate.
   
   
7. Place the pan in the refrigerator and chill the chocolate until firm, 20 to 30 minutes, or leave on the countertop and let set until firm.
   
   
8. When chocolate is firm, remove from the pan by grabbing the edge of the parchment paper and lifting out of the pan. Break into irregular pieces or use a sharp knife or bench scraper to cut into rectangular pieces about 2 by 4 inches.
   
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