DRAGON BITES carb-counted recipe
A family-friendly, mostly healthy (sometimes treat-y!) easy recipe for families living well with Type 1 Diabetes.
Easy, luxurious Valentine's Day treat.
A decadent sweet and salty treat for Valentine’s Day, yet surprisingly easy to make… you can still enjoy this cashew and dried-cherry Chocolate Bark any day of the year. Make a batch for your sweetheart, for a ‘love’ly party, or for a Valentine teacher’s gift that will be gone before they reach the parking lot!
(Adapted from A Spicy Perspective’s Valentine Chocolate Bark Recipe)
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Low-Carb? No
Gluten-free? No (but see below for GF adaptation)
Dairy-free? No
Nut-free? No
Yummy? Yes!
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Cool: 25-30 mins
Ready in: ~1 hour
Total Yield: 930g weight (could be cut into 20-30 pieces)
Carb Content: Per-piece carb count depends on size of pieces cut – those pictured above range from 20–34g carbs per piece
Fat Content: Per-piece fat content depends on size of pieces cut – those pictured above range from 9-16g fat per piece
Note that high fat food can lead to high blood sugar later that is resistant to correction – you may need to cover the fat content in this dish with extra insulin, especially if you do not regularly eat foods high in fat. For more information on this, check out How Fat Affects Blood Glucose?
INGREDIENTS:
- 380g (2 cups + 1/4 cup) red candy melts 1
- 165g (1 cup) white candy melts 2
- 1 teaspoon raspberry extract (or strawberry, or cherry extract) 3
- 340g (2 cups) semi-sweet chocolate chips 4
- 40g (1/3 cup) whole salted cashews 5
- 50g (1/3 cup) dried cherries 6
- ½ teaspoon salt flakes
Notes:
- I used Wilton Red Candy Melts = 256g carbs, 114g fat (for this recipe)
- I used Wilton White Candy Melts = 116g carbs, 50g fat (for this recipe)
Candy Melts have a “processed on the same equipment as wheat” warning on the package, so to make a gluten-free version of this recipe, I would recommend replacing the white candy melts with 1 cup of Hershey’s Chipits White Chocolate Chips (“Gluten Free as always”), and replacing the red candy melts with 2 ¼ cups of the same white chocolate chips tinted with red food dye.
- I used Watkins Imitation Raspberry Extract (which has no gluten-containing ingredients) = 0 carbs, 0 fat
I’ve also found a wide variety of extract flavours of different brands at Michael’s Arts & Crafts.
- I used Hershey’s Chipits Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips, which are gluten free = 204g carbs, 102g fat
- I used President’s Choice Roasted Cashews with Sea Salt (which have no gluten-containing ingredients) = 7g carbs, 19g fat
- I used President’s Choice Tart Montmorency Cherries (which have no gluten-containing ingredients) = 39g carbs, 0 fat
INSTRUCTIONS:
1.
Lay out a large piece of parchment paper or foil. Place 2 cups (345g weight) of red candy melts in a microwave safe bowl. Reserve the remaining 1/4 cup (35g weight) of red candy melts for later.
2.
Melt the red candy melts: Use a double boiler OR Microwave the candy melts for 1 minute at 50% power (according to package directions). Stir thoroughly. Repeat in 30-second intervals until smooth and completely melted.
3.
Pour the red candy melt out onto the parchment paper and spread into an even layer approximately 3mm thick.
The key to accurate carb counting is consistency of the amount of each ingredient across the entire finished product. To achieve consistent thickness, we placed a 3mm-wide wooden skewer on either side of the pouring area, placed a second sheet of parchment paper on top of the melted candy and wooden skewers, then rolled the rolling pin on top of the skewers to flatten the melted candy by a uniform amount, (equal to the diameter of the skewers). Leave the top layer of parchment paper and the wooden skewers in place while the candy hardens, to ensure they will peel off cleanly.
4.
Cool completely to harden. To speed up hardening, you could put the parchment paper on a baking sheet and place in the fridge for 1-2 minutes while you’re preparing the next layer. Remove both the parchment paper and the skewers before adding the next layer.
5.
Mix the raspberry extract with the white candy melts and repeat the melting process (microwave or double boiler). The extract will alter the consistency of the white mixture—it will melt but not pour. Using a spatula, spread the thick white mixture evenly over the top of the hardened red layer. Cool to harden.
6.
Repeat the melting process with the chocolate. Pour over the hardened white layer and spread evenly. Before it dries, quickly sprinkle cashews, dried cherries and salt flakes over the top. Cool to harden.
7.
Take the reserved red candy melts and repeat the melting process once again. Use a fork to scoop up a bit of melted candy and drizzle it over the top of the bark. Cool completely to harden. Once hard, cut into pieces.
Alternatively, you could pour the melted candy into a small ziploc bag and snip off a tiny portion of one corner, squeezing the bag to drizzle the red on top. We found it easier to use the fork method.
CARB & FAT CONTENT:
Total yield: ~930g finished weight, with a total of 620g of Carbs and 285g of fat.
I cut the total yield into 26 pieces, resulting in pieces each containing an average of 24g of carbs and 11g of fat. (Actual carb content varied from 20 – 38g per piece, while actual fat content varied from 9 – 17g per piece, depending on the sizes cut.)
Nutrient Content by Weight: 100g serving of Chocolate Cherry Bark contains 67g of carbs and 31g of fat, which means:
Carb Factor = 0.67
Fat Factor = 0.31
What is a Carb Factor? How Do I Use It?
Should I Give Insulin to Cover the Fat???
Please don’t rely exclusively on my carb counting! Nutritional information is given for general information only, and will vary depending on the amount, type and brand of ingredients you choose - Please verify your carb and fat content when you make your own version of this recipe.
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