Dessert Friday: cherry-almond-chocolate clusters
Oh, these little clusters of joy are so yummy! And, they are SOOOOO EASY! Hence the title of the book they come from: "So Easy" by Ellie Krieger. I love this cookbook, and everything I have tried making from it has turned out wonderful. She is a nutritionist, and a food network chef (that is how I heard of her). And, everything inside is relatively easy to make. If you want dessert but you want it to be relatively healthy, go to a nutritionist. They know their stuff. Full of protein because of the nuts, and fruit because of the dried fruit, and antioxidents from the dark chocolate.
Okay now enough talk. Let's get on to the important stuff:
Cherry-Almond-Chocolate Clusters
1 cup whole roasted almonds, coarsley chopped
1/2 cup dried cherries, coarsley chopped
6 ounces dark or bittersweet chocolated (60%-70% cocoa solids), finely chopped
1. In a medium bowl, toss together the almonds and cherries. Line a baking sheet with wax paper (or just spray it with pam, that's what I did).
2. Melt half of the chocolate in a double boiler over slightly simmering water, over the lowest possible heat, stirring frequently; make sure the water is not touching the top of the pan. If you don't have a double boiler just melt it in the microwave. Heat for 30 seconds, then stir. Heat another 30 seconds, then stir. Only heat it enough that the chocolate is melted after you stir. If the chocolate boils, then it is burned, and we don't want that. Remove the double boiler from the heat, and mix in the rest of the chocolate.
3. Stir the fruit/nut mixture into the chocolate. Spoon out heaping tablespoon-size clusters of the chocolate mixture onto the baking sheet about 1 inch apart. Put them in the refrigerator to cooland set for about 20 minutes. Store and serve at room temperature.
Makes 12 clusters
150 calories per cluster
If you don't have dried cherries or almonds on hand, not to worry-last time I made these I tripled the batch, and didn't have enough almonds so I added toasted and chopped pecans and walnuts to the mix. I also didn't have any cherries so I used dried cranberries instead. It turned out wonderful! I love maing this for parties. People love it!
I love chocolate. What do you like with chocolate????
Okay now enough talk. Let's get on to the important stuff:
 |
| Now that's what I am talking about! |
1 cup whole roasted almonds, coarsley chopped
1/2 cup dried cherries, coarsley chopped
6 ounces dark or bittersweet chocolated (60%-70% cocoa solids), finely chopped
1. In a medium bowl, toss together the almonds and cherries. Line a baking sheet with wax paper (or just spray it with pam, that's what I did).
2. Melt half of the chocolate in a double boiler over slightly simmering water, over the lowest possible heat, stirring frequently; make sure the water is not touching the top of the pan. If you don't have a double boiler just melt it in the microwave. Heat for 30 seconds, then stir. Heat another 30 seconds, then stir. Only heat it enough that the chocolate is melted after you stir. If the chocolate boils, then it is burned, and we don't want that. Remove the double boiler from the heat, and mix in the rest of the chocolate.
3. Stir the fruit/nut mixture into the chocolate. Spoon out heaping tablespoon-size clusters of the chocolate mixture onto the baking sheet about 1 inch apart. Put them in the refrigerator to cooland set for about 20 minutes. Store and serve at room temperature.
Makes 12 clusters
150 calories per cluster
If you don't have dried cherries or almonds on hand, not to worry-last time I made these I tripled the batch, and didn't have enough almonds so I added toasted and chopped pecans and walnuts to the mix. I also didn't have any cherries so I used dried cranberries instead. It turned out wonderful! I love maing this for parties. People love it!
I love chocolate. What do you like with chocolate????
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