Dark Chocolate Orange-Almond Bark with Sea Salt

I know, the name of this recipe is ridiculously long. By the time you finish telling someone what it's called, they'll have consumed it! I was making this for the same Rummage Sale/Bake Sale as the Lemon Rosemary Shortbread and I was trying to consider which essential oil to use. At first, I thought: peppermint! Except that I feel peppermint is best used around Christmas time, and it's spring, so that's when I thought of Orange essential oil! Perfect for Spring because my orange tree in the backyard is full of orange blossoms and beauty!

Ingredients:
20 oz or so of Dark Chocolate
1.5 cups Roasted, Unsalted Almonds
10 drops Orange Essential Oil
Sea Salt

In a double boiler, melt the dark chocolate. In the meantime, give those almond a nice, rough chop! Once the chocolate is all melty, stir in the almonds and essential oil. Let it cool slightly, then pour it onto a shallow pan, covered in parchment paper. Sprinkle the chocolate mixture with sea salt. Set it in the refrigerator to cool for at least thirty minutes. Once it's fully cooled, break it into pieces as large or small as you desire. I promise you, the orange flavor will balance out the bitter dark chocolate perfectly, the crunch of the almonds will satisfy the mouth feel, and the sea saltiness will be that extra little oomph that makes you say "huh!" Truly, please enjoy this chocolatey snack!

Lemon Rosemary Shortbread

I was asked to donate something delicious to my church's Life Teen Rummage Sale and Bake Sale, and so, I delivered! I found a recipe for a rosemary shortbread, and I modified it a tiny bit and inserted essential oils. Let me assure you, these are extremely tasty! Not too sweet, but totally fresh and fabulous! I technically doubled the recipe so that it makes 36 cookies. I mean really, who only wants 18?

Ingredients:
1 cup Butter, softened (do it, just use the real butter this time)
6 TBSP Honey
2 tsp fresh Rosemary, finely chopped plus 3-4 drops Rosemary Essential Oil
15 drops Lemon Essential Oil
3 3/4 cups Flour
1 tsp Sea Salt

Using a hand mixer or food processor (I used a hand mixer), blend together the butter, honey, rosemary and essential oils. Think of this as the "carrier oil" method.

Add in the flour and sea salt and mix until well combined. My dough was extremely crumbly at this point, and I was worried! As it turned out, I didn't need to worry, because it all comes together!

Dump half the dough out onto plastic wrap and use the wrap to kinda help you roll it into a log, about 8 inches long with an inch and a half diameter. Refrigerate for at least an hour, or, if you want to save some dough for later, freeze it at this point, but make certain it's TIGHTLY wrapped.

After this hour long wait, remove the dough from the plastic wrap, preheat the oven to 325 (too hot, and they will melt into sad, flat pancakes; too cool, and you'll be wondering if anything is happening in there) and slice the dough into 1/4 inch thick discs. Place them on an ungreased cookie sheet at least an inch apart.

Bake for 15 minutes or until the bottoms and edges begin to turn golden brown.

Allow them to cool on the pans.