Two Ingredient Dessert

C.H.O.C.O.L.A.T.E!! Who doesn’t love chocolate? Anyone? Anyone? Probably not. I know people may gravitate to salty treats or fruity sweets, but really who can turn away chocolate? Ironically, I tend to like fruity sweets - maybe because I don’t feel as guilty since it seems lighter, but honestly I still love nuts and chocolate together! I talked last week about trying to make my own sweets when I can. This allows me to control the ingredients and feel better about the decisions I am making and that decision is always NOT to have strict restriction. Today, we are making a super easy two ingredient chocolate and nut cluster. Can you guess the two ingredients? Oh wait I just told you - nuts and chocolate. Yep, its that easy!! Lets get started.

Chocolate and Nut Clusters

Makes 12-15 pieces

Ingredients:

Chocolate chips (I use a cacao blend chip), 1 ½ c

Nuts, any variety (I used half pistachios and half peanuts), ½ c

If you buy raw nuts, roast the nuts in a dry saute pan. Shake occasionally and make sure not to burn. You will start to smell them when they are done. Set aside and let cool.

Use a double boiler or pyrex tempered glass bowl over a pot of boiling water. I just used a bowl. It is important to make sure the bowl doesn’t touch the boiling water. Add the chocolate and stir over medium high heat until completely melted.

Once chocolate is completely melted, add the nuts and stir to combine. Turn down the heat, but keep the pan on some heat so the chocolate doesn’t cool and start to harden.

Using a mini ice cream scoop or spoon and add the chocolate nut mixture to a baking sheet covered with wax paper. Don’t worry they don’t have to be consistently shaped or pretty. I guarantee people will still eat them :). I flatten out the mixture a bit, but do as you please.

Add the clusters to the fridge for at least 20 minutes to harden and then of course you must try one! I store the rest in the fridge to keep them formed and hard.

Better Bonus Tip: This can be easily doubled or tripled. Try adding different extracts for added depth of flavor - vanilla, almond, raspberry, orange and coconut all sound good to me. Try different nuts or dried fruit. Feel free to not stir in mix ins, instead add chocolate to wax paper and sprinkling the nuts / dried fruit to the top of the chocolate.

Having fun and being creative is always my goal for you, so do as you please!! See you next week.

~Ashley