Dark Chocolate Raspberry Walnut Cake Bars

I know. 

It's kind of a mouthful of a title for a dessert. 

But then again, this dessert is a mouthful as a dessert.

I faithfully follow one of the most inspiring blogs out there: Bakers Royale. She is a genius when it comes to... well... everything! Her photography is breathtaking, and she has such a fun way of inventing never-before-made-or-thought-of desserts. Her originality is incredible, and she blogs about it effortlessly. 

Another thing I love about her and her work, is that she does it without all the bells & whistles. She doesn't post all the time, she doesn't toot her own horn, she doesn't do endless giveaways, she doesn't guzzy up her website with the latest trendy hues or spend hundreds on a new web design. She's completely understated, and sticks to the bare bone minimum when it comes to the "blogging game." Yet, her stuff is top-notch, her work is flawless, and her food/photography is on a higher level than I've ever seen on the rest of the food blogger fleet we may all be used to (myself included). If you have a second, take a look at her site. Fall in love with true food photography and styling. Just promise you'll come back and visit me  and my little point-and-shoot now and again, mmmkay? :) 

She shared this recipe last week on her blog. I love when she does that - right before grocery day. I can't help but throw her ingredients on my grocery list, and pick them all up with the rest of our groceries. This recipe looked simple enough, but man did those raspberries draw me in like a tractor beam! 

Don't they just look gorgeous? They took me 15 minutes. 15 MINUTES. For reals, friends! No baking. No fussing. No shame in stealing a few cubes of pound cake and wiping up the dark-chocolate coated pan with them.

And take a look at those ingredients! Cubes of pound cake? Inspired, I tell you! It was the perfect texture balance with those crunchy walnuts and almonds. The dark chocolate achieves the texture of fudge, and the raspberries added such a lovely contrast to the whole dessert. These were FREAKING incredible.

Make them. 

Take them to your holiday gathering in little bars or bite-sized-squares. People will seriously think you spent hours on these, and will question your sanity for making only one pan. 

Thanks again, Ms Royale :) 

xo, 

blondie

Dark Chocolate Raspberry Walnut Cake Bars 

makes one 8x8 pan

ingredients:

11oz dark chocolate chips

1 C (2 sticks) unsalted butter, almost completely melted

2 T corn syrup

3 C (6oz) store-bought pound cake, FROZEN, cubed

1 C (4oz) chopped walnuts

1 C (4oz) whole raspberries 

2 T silvered almonds

1/4 C (1 1/4oz) white chocolate, melted

method:

1. Prep 8x8 pan: line with plastic wrap, leaving about an inch overhang over each side. Set aside. 

2. Over a simmering saucepan of water, place a heat-proof bowl over top with chocolate, butter, and corn syrup inside the bowl. Stir ingredients together as they melt together. Once completely melted. Pull off the heat and set aside 1/3 C of the mixture. 

3. Add chilled & cubed pound cake and walnuts into melted chocolate mixture, and fold to combine. Spread into prepared 8x8 pan. Flatten with a spatula, then pour the reserved melted chocolate over top everything. Spread flat. Immediately sprinkle with almonds and raspberries. Drizzle with melted white chocolate. 

4. Cover with a lid or plastic wrap, and let chill in the fridge until dark chocolate is hard. Remove from the fridge, lift dessert from pan with plastic wrap overhang. Slice with a warmed knife (dip in hot water) to cut through bars easily. Keep bars chilled until serving. Bars will keep for a few days in an air-tight container. 

recipe source: Bakers Royale