This is an Emeril Lagasse recipe I use every Christmas, but it's so chocolatey
and good that it's perfect for any holiday,
for yourself or for someone you love.

Three Chocolate Bark with Spiced Pecans and Dried Cherries
7 tbs butter	pinch ground nutmeg
1/2 c. brown sugar	1 pound semisweet chocolate, cut into pieces
2 c. pecan pieces	1 pound milk chocolate, cut into pieces
salt	1 pound white chocolate, cut into pieces *
cayenne pepper	2 c. dried cherries, rehydrated and chopped
Preheat oven to 400o. In a large saute pan, melt 4 tbs butter. Add the brown sugar and stir until the sugar dissolves and is bubbly. Add the pecans, seasoning with salt, cayenne, nutmeg and cinnamon. Cook on low heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar starts to caramelize, no more than 4 minutes.  Remove from heat and spread the pecans over a parchment-lined baking sheet. Place the pan in the oven and roast the pecans for about 6 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely, then break into small pieces. (If the sugar remains chunky, use the pecans/sugar in the final recipe anyway--it still tastes delicious!) Fill 3 small saucepans halfway up with water, and place over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. In three separate mixing bowls, add each type of chocolate into the individual bowls, then place the bowls over saucepans. Stir each until totally melted. Remove from heat and stir 1 melted tbs of butter into each. Pour each type of chocolate into a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle the pecans and cherries over the chocolates. Stir with a metal spatula to get a swirled effect, until the chocolate is 1/4" thick. Place in refrigerator until hard. Break the bark into medium pieces and serve. * Rather than going to the trouble of breaking up chocolate, I use 3 bags of the various chocolate chips instead. Less chocolate over all, but it still makes plenty!

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