Photo: Almond and Chocolate Clusters Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (about 3 ounces) toasted slivered almonds
- 24 individually wrapped caramel candies (about 6 ounces)
- 1 cup (about 6 ounces) bittersweet chocolate chips
- 4 to 6 tablespoons cream, room temperature, divided
- 1 cup (about 6 ounces) white chocolate chips
- Special equipment: 2 mini muffin tins
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Lightly grease the mini-muffin tins with vegetable oil spray. Place 1 teaspoon of slivered nuts in each of the muffin cups. Unwrap the caramel candies, cut each candy into quarters and place 4 quarters (1 candy) in each of the muffin cups on top of the nuts in a single layer. Bake in the oven until the caramel is just melted and beginning to spread, about 8 minutes. Be careful not to over melt the caramel or it will bubble, burn, and become too hard. Place the mini muffin tins in the refrigerator for 5 minutes to cool. Remove the nut clusters from the tins and set aside.
Meanwhile, melt the bittersweet chocolate in a double boiler over low heat. Wisk 2 to 3 tablespoons of cream into the chocolate to slightly thin the chocolate for coating the clusters. Dip half of the nut clusters in the bittersweet chocolate and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Return the clusters to the refrigerator to harden, about 30 minutes.
Melt the white chocolate in a double boiler over low heat. Wisk 2 to 3 tablespoons of cream into the chocolate to slightly thin the chocolate for coating the clusters. Dip remaining half of the nut clusters in the white chocolate and place on the parchment paper-lined baking sheet with the other chocolate-covered clusters. Return the clusters to the refrigerator to harden, about 30 minutes.
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By sind66
Chicago,IL
on January 11, 2012
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One star for concept, it looked easy & delicious. Execution is another story. First batch in the garbage, after I had to freeze the nonstick, sprayed mini muffin pan & pound with a mallet to release the burnt caramels. Second batch, lowered temp & cut time, still bubbled a little, but completed the recipe. They looked great, but unless I wanted to send someone for an emergency visit to the dentist, I chose to dump the second batch as well. I agree with another reviewer that adding cream was unnecessary, it actually caused the chocolate to seize up, I added more chocolate to bring it back.
By Garnette3
Florida
on December 23, 2011
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I made these wonderful candies this year for an eatable gift for my family and I couldn't be happier! They were super easy and being a novice in the kitchen this was a HUGE plus! The only thing I had a problem with is my white chocolate wasn't white, it came out as a champagne-ish color. So I just threw in some food coloring and made red and green for Christmas! Thank you soo much for this recipe! I LOVE IT!
By texastiger
on December 17, 2011
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OK....this is a WONDERFULLY EASY AND DELICIOUS recipe....SECRET?????? Need one of those SILICON mini muffin pans!!!! I made these several times, spraying, spraying,. prying, prying....TRYING to get them out!!! BUT because they are REALLY GOOD.......I kept "thinking"....... and VIOLA!!! thought what about the silicon..duh....WORKS BEAUTIFULLY.....however, cups are a "little" larger than others, so I added 1 extra square from caramels (1/4.....PERFECT!!!! They just POP out.........read other reviews most say getting out of the pan was the negative...maybe I should tell Giada.......
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