Chocolate Coconut Nut Clusters Food

2 INGREDIENT CHOCOLATE COCONUT CANDY CLUSTERS

Steps:

• Line a medium baking sheet with wax paper or parchment paper. Clear some room in the freezer for this sheet. Set aside.
• To melt the chocolate, use the double boiler method or do the following. Add chocolate to a medium, microwave-safe bowl. Heat in 20-second increments until melted. Stir in between heating increments, until smooth.
• Add in coconut. Stir and fold until well combined and thoroughly mixed.
• Using a small cookie scoop, scoop and drop candy mixture onto the prepared baking sheet, spaced evenly apart. Here is the small cookie scoop that I use and love.
• Chill in the freezer for 10-20 mins, until firm. Enjoy! Storing instructions below.

CHOCOLATE COCONUT NUT CLUSTERS

Steps:

• Line 4 miniature muffin pans with candy cups; set them aside. (Or you can skip the paper candy cups and just drop these by the spoonful onto wax paper lined cookie sheets.).
• Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the coconut and nuts on separate cookie sheets.
• Bake each until golden brown, about 9 minutes for the nuts and 10 for the coconut, stirring every few minutes to keep them from burning. Let them cool.
• Combine the toasted coconut and nuts in a medium-size bowl. Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave according to the package directions.
• Add the melted chocolate to the coconut mixture; stir well. Drop the mixture by heaping teaspoonfuls into the candy cups (or directly onto lined cookie sheets). Chill until set, about 45 minutes.
• If desired, melt additional chocolate according to the package directions.
• Pour the contents into a zipper bag. Snip off a small corner of the bag, then drizzle the chocolate over the clusters.
• Chill until drizzle is set, about 15 minutes.
• Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

CHOCOLATE CASHEW COCONUT CLUSTERS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Toast the cashews on a baking sheet in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, until uniformly golden brown. Cool the nuts to room temperature. Toast the coconut on a baking sheet in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, until lightly golden around the edges. Cool the coconut to room temperature. Heat 1-inch of water in the bottom half of a double boiler over medium heat. Place the semisweet chocolate in the top half of the double boiler. Use a rubber spatula to stir the chocolate until completely melted and smooth, about 5 to 6 minutes. transfer the melted chocolate to a 4-quart bowl. Add the cashews and coconut. Use a rubber spatula to stir until the cashews and coconut are completely coated with chocolate.
• Immediately portion the mixture by heaping tablespoons (approximately 1 1/2 ounces) for each cluster, onto waxed paper. Allow the clusters to harden at room temperature for 1 hour, then refrigerate for 30 minutes, until firm enough to handle. Store the clusters in a tightly sealed plastic container in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

CHOCOLATE MACADAMIA NUT CLUSTERS

Steps:

• In a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water (bottom of bowl should not touch water), stir chopped chocolate and butter often until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Remove from over water and let cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes.
• In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on high speed, beat sugar, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Add chocolate mixture and beat until well blended. Stir in flour and baking powder, then beat just until moistened. Stir in macadamia nuts, chocolate chips, and coconut.
• Drop dough in 1-tablespoon portions, about 2 inches apart, onto buttered or cooking parchment-lined 12- by 15-inch baking sheets.
• 4Bake cookies in a 350° oven just until firm on the edges but still soft when pressed in the middle, 8 to 10 minutes; if baking more than one pan at a time, switch pan positions halfway through baking. Let cookies cool on sheets for 5 minutes, then use a wide spatula to transfer to racks to cool completely.

CHOCOLATE NUT & CRAISIN CLUSTERS

Steps:

• Melt chocolate chips in microwave for about 2 minutes.
• Chips will not appear melted.
• However, stir them to distribute the heat and get them melted.
• Add nuts and craisins, stirring until well coated.
• Drop teaspoonfuls onto a wax-paper lined cookie sheet.
• Place into refrigerator for about 1 hour.
• Note: if doubling the recipe, microwave time does not double.
• Check chips at about 2 1/2 minutes and add small amounts of time until chips are melted.
• It takes a bit under 3 minutes for a double recipe in my microwave.

CRUNCHY NUT CLUSTERS

Steps:

• Line 4 miniature muffin pans with candy cups; set them aside. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the coconut and nuts on separate cookie sheets. Bake each until golden brown, about 9 minutes for the nuts and 10 for the coconut, stirring every few minutes to keep them from burning. Let them cool.
• Combine the toasted coconut and nuts in a medium-size bowl. Melt the chocolate chips -- white or semisweet -- in the microwave according to the package directions. Add the melted chocolate to the coconut mixture; stir well. Drop the mixture by heaping teaspoonfuls into the candy cups. Chill until set, about 45 minutes.
• Melt the remaining chocolate according to the package directions. Pour the contents into a ziplock bag. Snip off a small corner of the bag, then drizzle the chocolate over the clusters. Chill until the glaze is set, about 15 minutes. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

NUTTY CHOCOLATE PEANUT CLUSTERS

Steps:

• In a double boiler or metal bowl over hot water, melt candy coating and chocolate chips; stir until smooth. Remove from the heat; stir in peanuts. , Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Refrigerate for 10-15 minutes or until set. Store in airtight containers.