February… the month of love! I’m gearing up for Valentine’s Day week with this sweet and spicy chocolate cluster recipe.
These are similar to this sweet and salty bark version I made last year, but chunkier! Love the crunch of the whole almonds. They’re a perfect sweet little end to a meal, and customizable for different sizes for all your portion control needs! 😉 The base is simply nuts + dried fruit, but the clusters are spiced up a bit with cinnamon, nutmeg, a pinch of cayenne, and a sprinkle of sea salt, which is key!
I used cranberries and almonds because I had them on hand, but you could change it up with other ingredients, too. I think cherry + walnut and peanut + raisin would be great! Or just nuts – pistachio! (Tip: Have your five-year-old do the shelling first!)
Begin by roasting your almonds – don’t take your eyes off them! When they are just fragrant, remove from the oven and let cool slightly.
Next, melt the chocolate. You can use the double boiler method, but microwaving works fine too and is a bit faster. Heat the chips in 30 second increments, stirring in between, until everything is melted.
Add in the spices and stir to combine. Dip in a spoon and adjust to taste!
Then, add in the nuts and dried fruit and stir to combine.
This sight reminds me of all the Willy Wonka we’ve been watching around here. I could just swim in it!
Divide into small rounds (I used a large tablespoon). You can make them bigger, like cookies, or smaller (so just a nut and cranberry), if you like.
Let chill until the chocolate is completely set.
These are a perfect easy treat to make this weekend before the big chocolate holiday. Give them as gifts to go with your valentines or make them with your kiddos.
Cranberry Almond Chocolate Clusters
Ingredients
- 10-12 ounces semi sweet or dark chocolate chopped
- 1.5 cup almonds
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- Pinch each of cayenne powder cinnamon, nutmeg
- Sea salt to taste
Instructions
- Toast almonds on a baking sheet in a toaster oven or regular oven at 400 degrees for about 5 minutes, making sure not to burn (keep an eye on them!) Let cool slightly.
- Melt the chocolate in microwave in 30 second bursts, stirring in between bursts (a double boiler would work too). Once evenly melted, add in the spices and mix thoroughly. Taste test and add more spices if desired.
- Add the nuts and dried fruit to the bowl with the chocolate and stir to combine.
- Line a second baking sheet or small tray with parchment paper. Spoon the nut + chocolate mixture onto the sheet, making them about 1 heaping tablespoon in size. Sprinkle with sea salt.
- Place sheet in the fridge to allow chocolate to set completely (about 20 minutes).
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog says
These look like a dream to eat, Kath! Man, I’m so hungry now… and I JUST had some chocolate…
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
Tonya says
I love adding cayenne to chocolate. I just need to grab some dried fruit from the store and I can make a version of these for V-Day. thanks!
Kori says
This is the third chocolate recipe this week that I have plans to make asap, and it looks so easy! Matt and I will love having these to add to our lunches. 🙂
Katie says
Yum! Those look great! And I love the addition of the sea salt. Sea salt + chocolate is such a winning combo!
Linda @ The Fitty says
High wuality sea salt is KEY in a recipe like this^^
Kelli @ Hungry Hobby says
OMG this looks so good! So easy too and so much “cleaner” than a box of chocolates!
Marcy says
Love the addition of the spices. These look so yummmm!
Ushmana Rai says
I love chunky chocolates! I am thinking of making mine with cashews and pistachios because I just love them. Really love the sweet-salty flavor that you created, Kath. Thanks for sharing, right on time for Valentines!
Mary Livesay says
Just made these for V-Day tomorrow, excited to taste them once they cooled. I subbed Michigan dried cherries and walnuts in for the fruit and nut
KathEats says
Yay!!
Mary says
I subbed walnuts for almonds and michigan dried cherries for cranberries. SOOO good. I could have even used a bit more cayenne to spice it up (you can’t really taste it). The sea salt is key – don’t leave that off!!
Ruth says
This looks so amazing and I think I need one right now. Thanks for the shout out!
Lotus Light says
I made these with Hu chocolate gems (vegan, organic – so good), cranberries, cashews, and sprinkled shredded coconut on tops of them to make them more holiday like. I even dipped chopped up fresh banana in remaining chocolate for a delicious treat today. So good thank you!