Matcha, cranberry, sea-salt bark (posh choccy gifts)

'Tis the season to be jolly and eat fancy chocs so here's a really easy 'recipe'. I say that in inverted commas because it's more a case of melting some chocolate and doing some fancy swirling and then decorating. BUT it means you can create your bark in any flavour you like and make it look really pretty. It's such a lovely gift and means you can also get creative with your wrapping.

I made these in less than 30 minutes and it certainly beats Thorntons of Hotel Chocolat for Secret Santa gifts.

Ingredients:

200g bar of dark choc
85g bar of white choc
1 tsp matcha green tea powder
40g dried cranberries
50g flaked coconut
Pinch of sea salt

Method:

Using two bain-marie (a saucepan of simmering water with a heat-proof bowl inside), melt the white chocolate in one bowl and the dark chocolate in another. When melted, add the matcha tea powder to the white chocolate and stir well (I used a mini whisk to avoid any powdery clumps). Lay a sheet of greaseproof paper on a large chopping board or baking tray (that will fit in your fridge) and pour the dark chocolate into a thinnish layer (if you want to make the bark more chunky then keep it around 0.5cm thick). Then pour the white (now green) chocolate on top and using a tooth pick or sharp knife make pretty swirls. Sprinkle the cranberries, coconut and sea salt on top and then refrigerate for an hour or so until hard.
When set, break up into shards or squares. Wrap in clear gift wrap and decorate with anything seasonal!

You can use any type of chocolate and any flavours. Next up for me is orange zest and crystallised ginger, and then maybe a peanut butter white choc swirl!

A day in the life on a Pilates retreat!

This year will be the fifth year that I'll be returning to the beautiful island of Mallorca to run my Pilates and nutrition retreats. Each time I come back I fall in love a little more with the island. As a teenager I’d had family holidays to the Balearics but it wasn’t until I returned for my first retreat to Deia with Bloom Retreats that I truly appreciated how special a place it really is. 

Deia, now famous for being the location for filming of the Night Manager is a stunning artists’ village, a world away from hectic city life. Everyone notices this special, tranquility almost immediately. 

What does a typical day involve? 

8.30am

Wake up and have a cuppa and a snack (yes we serve real tea and real coffee - I'm a big advocate of balance and enjoyment so there are no strict rules on what you can and can’t have on our retreats!). 

8.45am

Make our way to our beautiful Pilates spot outside by the pool or in the holistic garden. The temperature is usually perfect at this time in the morning and we do our Pilates class listening to the sounds of cockerels, donkeys and cicadas. 

The first Pilates class of the day is a chance to energise, stretch and get ready for the day - whether that is a day of lounging by the pool or a day hiking in the nearby mountain range. Either way, you take it at your own pace. 

10am 

After class we’ve all worked up an appetite so we go straight to brunch, which has been prepared by the amazing Monika.  This typically consists of local fruit, goats cheese, avocado, grilled tomatoes, my homemade granola and a selection of local breads. 

11am 

There are optional activities during the day - one of my favourites being a walk over the mountains to a gorgeous port called Soller. We stop for fresh orange juice on the way at a stunning rest point and once we get to Soller we have a picnic on the beach (or some people prefer to choose some local tapas). 

3pm 

In the afternoon those who want to can hire paddle boards in the sheltered bay of Soller - it’s the perfect place to try paddle boarding for those who haven't before.

Once we get home at around 6 everyone is usually pretty exhausted so we have a gentle stretch and relax before another delicious dinner cooked by our incredible professional holistic chef Nicola (www.nourishbynicola.com) 

Ruth’s retreats in Deia runs will be from the 18th - 24th May (6 nights) and the 1st - 7th October (6 nights).  Prices start at £875 for a shared room. For more information please visit www.ruthtongue.com or email ruth@ruthtongue.com