Pecan

For this confection you can use practically any combination of nuts or dried fruits and any type of chocolate. Making bark is a good way to use up valuable leftover chocolate.

Try this dip with sliced green apple, toasted rustic bread, or crackers.

For Valentine’s Day, bake the layers in two 9-inch heart-shaped cake pans.

The chocolate glaze takes time to cool; have it ready before assembling the torte. This ganache thickens as it sits. The ganache used for the Inside-Out German Chocolate Torte and in step 7 of the Belgian Chocolate Birthday Cake (page 507) should be pourable but thick enough to fully coat the cakes.

The buckwheat flour adds a deep, assertive flavor to this dessert; the flour is also highly nutritious.

To produce interesting curves in the caramel drops, stand the skewers upright in flower foam or a heavy container while setting. If the caramel hardens before all the pecans have been dipped, rewarm it over low heat. A foolproof way to clean caramel from the pan is to bring it to a boil with a bit of added water.

To produce interesting curves in the caramel drops, stand the skewers upright in flower foam or a heavy container while setting. If the caramel hardens before all the pecans have been dipped, rewarm it over low heat. A foolproof way to clean caramel from the pan is to bring it to a boil with a bit of added water.