Chocolate Nut Craisin Clusters Food

CHOCOLATE NUT CRUNCH CLUSTER

Steps:

• melt butterscotch chips and semi-sweet chocolate chips with the paraffin wax in a medium saucepan until smooth.
• remove from heat and stir in peanuts and chow mein noodles until covered.
• Drop by the spoonful into 3inch cups or drop onto wax paper. Let the clusters set and cool before eating.
• Enjoy!

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.

RAISIN-ONI (CHOCOLATE RAISIN CLUSTERS)

Steps:

• For the simple syrup: In a saucepan bring 2 cups sugar and 1 cup water to a boil, stirring, and boil until sugar is completely dissolved. Cool syrup.
• For the Raisin-oni: Combine chocolate and simple syrup in a heat-proof bowl. Microwave for 1 minute 15 seconds, remove from microwave and stir to smooth consistency. Add raisins and 1 tablespoon water to the bowl and mix to completely cover all raisins. Using a spoon or small ice-cream scoop, scoop out raisins into clusters onto a waxed paper lined sheet pan. Once all RAISIN-ONI are formed, cover them with a sheet of waxed paper and plastic wrap, place in refrigerator and chill until firm.

CRANBERRY CLUSTERS

Steps:

• Combine the sugar and 1/2 cup of water in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Increase the heat to high and, without stirring, cook until the syrup is golden amber or until a candy thermometer reads between 250 to 265 degrees F (hard-ball stage), about 10 minutes (see Cook's Note*). Promptly remove the saucepan from the heat.
• Working quickly, drop 3 cranberries into the caramel. Use 2 forks to coat the cranberries completely in the syrup and pull together into a cluster. Place the cranberry cluster on a waxed paper lined baking tray. Repeat with the remaining cranberries. Reheat the syrup briefly over low heat if it starts to thicken. Let the clusters cool to harden.
• Melt the white chocolate in a stainless-steel bowl over barely simmering water. Stir constantly with a rubber spatula until the white chocolate is almost completely melted. Be careful that no moisture gets into the chocolate, or it will harden. Remove the bowl from the heat and allow the white chocolate to cool slightly.
• Dip the bottom of the cranberry cluster into the white chocolate and place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet to set for approximately 20 minutes. Place clusters in paper candy cups and store in an airtight container.

PEANUT RAISIN CLUSTERS

Steps:

• Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler set over barely simmering water, stirring frequently. When melted, remove from the heat and mix in the peanuts and raisins. Drop the mixture by the spoonful onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat, or pour into a buttered loaf pan lined with plastic wrap. Let set at room temperature until firm and completely cooled. If using a loaf pan, cut up into squares. Store in an airtight container.

NUT CLUSTERS

Steps:

• Prepare the caramel mou: Place the corn syrup, sugar and just enough water to melt the sugar into a saucepan and place on high heat. Cook until the sugar is very dark brown and begins to burn. You will see white smoke. Remove from the heat and add the 1-ounce of water. Allow this to cool slightly.
• Place the roasted nuts on a silpat baking mat lined baking sheet.
• Place the butter and cocoa butter in a large heat-proof mixing bowl.
• Prepare the caramel: Place the sugar, corn syrup, Caramel Mou, cream, vanilla bean, butter, salt, and lemon juice in a saucepan placed over high heat. Insert a candy thermometer and cook to 250 degrees F (121 degrees C). Remove from the heat and pour over the butter and cocoa butter. Let cool for 5 minutes. Spoon the caramel over the nuts to make the clusters.
• Place the bittersweet chocolate in a paper cornet or small piping bag and drizzle chocolate over the nut cluster. Serve.
• Jacques' tip: To make a more kid friendly recipe, use store bought caramel squares. Unwrap them and place them on top of the nuts. Put in a warm oven until the caramel melts.

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.

CRANBERRY CLUSTERS

Steps:

• In a heavy saucepan or microwave, melt the chocolate chips; stir until smooth. Stir in the cranberries and cashews. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto a waxed paper-lined baking sheet. Let stand until set. Store in an airtight container.

CAROB NUT CLUSTERS

Steps:

• Place carob chips and peanut butter in a small bowl and melt in microwave (or in a double boiler). Stir until evenly combined.
• Stir in nuts and quickly drop by teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper.
• Let set until hard. Store in refrigerator.

CHOCOLATE MATZOH CLUSTERS

Steps:

• melt chocolate chips in the microwave for 1 minute, stir.
• in greased mixing bowl add nuts, matzoh and chocolate, stir to mix well (if you want to add dried fruit and coconut do it now).
• place wax paper onto baking sheets.
• drop by spoonfuls, refrigerate several hours.