What are Franui?

Franui are little bites made of a whole frozen raspberry coated in a double layer of chocolate. You eat them frozen, straight from the freezer: that's where the magic is, the chocolate cracks under your teeth, then the still-firm raspberry slowly melts, releasing its tartness. A contrast of textures and temperatures that explains their success.

Behind the product is a lovely story: that of Diego Fenoglio, an Argentinian chocolatier of Italian origin based in Patagonia, who had the idea of pairing his abundant raspberry harvests with chocolate. Long a well-kept secret, his bites exploded on TikTok, tasting videos racking up hundreds of thousands of likes, to the point of becoming hard to find in supermarkets, with repeated stock shortages and a climbing price.

Hence the idea for this bark: the same flavours, the same contrast, but homemade, more generous, more affordable, and without having to hunt down the last tub on the shelf.

Which mould should you use?

For this recipe I used a silicone bark mould. In my view it's the best choice: silicone makes unmoulding very easy without risking cracking the chocolate, and gives a clean, chocolate-shop-worthy result.

That said, this type of mould isn't essential. A rectangular loaf tin works well for a thicker bark, as does a small glass dish, a square tin or any other container. The taste will be exactly the same, only the shape changes.

The one thing to keep in mind is to adapt the quantities to the size of the mould. If your mould is larger, the bark will be thinner: add a little more chocolate and raspberries to keep a nice thickness. With a smaller mould, use the recipe quantities as they are for a more generous bark.

A little tip: if you think you'll make this recipe or other chocolate barks again, investing in a silicone mould is really worth it. It's inexpensive, endlessly reusable and gives a much cleaner result than a rigid mould.

Which chocolate should you choose?

Even though this recipe works with different chocolates, I recommend 1000% using a dark chocolate with at least 70% cocoa. Why? Because raspberries are naturally tart and white chocolate is already very sweet. A more intense dark chocolate balances the whole thing perfectly and stops the bark being sickly. In my view, it's the tastiest pairing.

If you find 70% a little too strong, a 52% dark chocolate is still a great alternative. It brings more sweetness while contrasting enough with the white chocolate.

You can also swap the dark chocolate for milk chocolate, but bear in mind the result will be noticeably sweeter. In that case I recommend a good-quality chocolate with the shortest possible ingredient list. In a recipe with only three ingredients, each one really makes a difference to the final taste.

Fresh or frozen raspberries?

For this recipe I recommend fresh raspberries without hesitation. As it contains just three ingredients, each has a direct impact on the final result. Fresh raspberries have a firmer texture, a more intense flavour and stay nicely in place once coated in chocolate.

Frozen raspberries release more water as they thaw. The result: they become more fragile, their texture is softer and the moisture can stop the chocolate sticking properly. Not ideal for a clean, crunchy bark.

The only real downside of fresh raspberries is their price, especially out of season. But for such a simple recipe, where the few ingredients are truly showcased, I find it well worth the investment. It's what makes all the difference at tasting time.

Do you need to temper the chocolate?

Tempering means melting then cooling the chocolate along a precise temperature curve. It's this technique that gives chocolate its shine, a clean snap and stops it blooming over time. It's the method chocolatiers use.

For this recipe I didn't temper the chocolate, simply because I wanted an easy version accessible to everyone. The result is already excellent: the bark is indulgent, crunchy and comes together in minutes. On the other hand, the chocolate will be a little less shiny and will melt faster on your fingers, especially in hot weather.

If you want to give this bark as a gift or achieve a chocolate-shop finish, tempering is a real plus. But for a homemade dessert to share, I don't think it's worth the extra effort.

Fridge or freezer: the real question

This is probably the choice that changes the final result the most. The original Franui are served frozen: the raspberry stays icy at the centre and contrasts with the chocolate that cracks under your teeth. That's their signature texture.

For my part, I simply put the bark in the fridge, and I loved the result. The raspberries stay fresh and soft, while the chocolate keeps a pleasant crunch. It's a milder version, easier to eat.

If you want an experience very close to Franui, pop the bark in the freezer for 30 to 60 minutes before serving, or keep it in the freezer directly. You'll get a beautifully crisp chocolate and an icy raspberry centre. In the end, there's no better choice: they're simply two different desserts, to pick depending on your mood.

How to get a pretty marbled effect

The secret to a beautiful bark is spreading the two chocolates well. Once the raspberries are arranged in the mould, first pour the white chocolate so it slips between the fruit, then add the dark chocolate straight on top. No need to wait for the first layer to harden: the two chocolates will blend naturally while keeping pretty swirls.

Just make sure to spread the dark chocolate over the whole surface so that every square of the bark contains a little of both chocolates. That way you'll get a result that's as delicious as it is beautiful.

Storage: how long does it keep?

This bark keeps for up to 48 hours in the fridge, in an airtight container. Beyond that, fresh raspberries start to lose their hold and release more juice.

You can also keep it in the freezer, and it's actually an excellent option. Unlike many desserts, this bark is delicious very cold, even slightly frozen. The chocolate becomes even crunchier and the raspberries offer a texture close to the famous Franui. It's actually how I prefer it if I make it ahead.