Simple Chocolate Covered Almonds Food

CHOCOLATE COVERED ALMONDS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Toast almonds for 15 minutes on a baking sheet. Line two baking pans with parchment paper; set aside.
• In a medium saucepan, combine granulated sugar, 1/4 cup water, toasted almonds, and cinnamon. Cook, stirring constantly, until sugar becomes golden and granular and almonds are completely coated and separated. Pour nuts onto prepared pans. Chill in freezer, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, place chocolate in a medium bowl; place bowl over simmering water until melted. Transfer half the chilled almonds to a large bowl, and pour half the melted chocolate over nuts. Stir until nuts are thoroughly coated. Transfer nuts onto prepared baking pan. Using two forks, separate nuts so none stick together. Return almonds to refrigerator until chocolate has set, about 20 minutes. Repeat with remaining almonds.
• Place cocoa powder and confectioners' sugar into two separate bowls. Toss half the nuts in cocoa and half in sugar, and gently tap off any excess powder. Store separately in airtight containers for up to 1 month.

SIMPLE CHOCOLATE-COVERED ALMONDS

Steps:

• Set a pot of water over medium heat and bring to a boil. Add a double boiler to the top of the pot and lower heat to a simmer.
• Add chocolate and coconut oil to the double boiler. Stir until chocolate is melted.
• Place a drip rack over a parchment-lined pan. Place almonds on top of the drip rack. Pour chocolate over the almonds. Allow chocolate to dry.
• Once dry, store almonds in a resealable container.

TAFFY CHOCOLATE COVERED ALMONDS

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper.
• Place taffy candy pieces onto a microwave-safe plate, and heat in microwave oven until warm and soft, 5 to 10 seconds. Check after 5 seconds to prevent candy from becoming too hot.
• Place a warmed taffy piece onto a flat work surface and pat out to form a 1 1/2-inch circle.
• Cut the circle into quarters.
• Place an almond onto each quarter-circle, and enclose the almond in the taffy. Repeat for remaining taffy and almonds. Let the taffy-covered almonds cool.
• Place chocolate chips into a small microwave-safe bowl, and heat chips in microwave oven until shiny and beginning to melt, about 10 seconds. Stir, then repeat microwaving and stirring in 5-second intervals until the chocolate is warm and smooth.
• Dip each taffy-wrapped almond in chocolate, place onto the parchment paper, and allow to set until the chocolate is hardened, about 20 minutes.

CHOCOLATE COVERED ALMONDS

Steps:

• Place the granulated sugar and water in a large copper pot or 4-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Add the almonds and stir to coat them evenly in the sugar syrup. Your goal is to cook the almonds until the sugar crystallizes and caramelizes.
• When water is added to the sugar, the sugar crystals are dissolved. As it boils, the syrup becomes thicker as the water evaporates and big soap-like bubbles begin to form. Soon, all the moisture evaporates and the mixture becomes sandy. The sandiness is the sugar recrystallizing. It only takes the reformation of one sugar crystal to recrystallize the others. Keep stirring! Next, you see the sugar closest to the heat change from sandy to a clear liquid. The melted sugar clings to the almonds. When the sugar changes from clear to golden brown, the nuts are caramelized. Once this happens, pay close attention; the time it takes to pass from caramelized to burned is only a matter of seconds, especially when making smaller batches. You know the nuts are finished when most of the sandy sugar is gone.
• The first few times you make these, I suggest you try the following: When the sugar closest to the heat changes from sandy to liquid, remove the pan from the burner and continue to stir. The residual heat in the sugar and nuts will continue to cook the mixture while you stir it. Lower the heat to medium-low and continue to stir the nuts while moving the saucepan on and off the heat at 10-second intervals. This will give you more control as it cooks. When the nuts begin to caramelize, remove them from the heat and finish stirring.
• Use a wooden spoon to spread the caramelized nuts onto a parchment paper-covered baking sheet. Do not touch the nuts as they are extremely hot. Let the nuts cool completely. If your freezer will accommodate the baking sheet, you can place the nuts in the freezer for about 30 minutes to speed up the cooling process. When completely cooled, break apart any nut clusters that may have formed. At this stage, you can choose to serve the nuts as they are.
• Place the caramelized nuts in the coating pan attached to the stand mixer. Spin at low speed. Use a ladle to add the chocolate to the spinning nuts. Add 1 ladle at a time until the nuts are coated to the desired thickness. If a thicker coat is desired, use more chocolate. If a thinner coat is desired, decrease the amount of chocolate. Finish by adding cocoa powder to the coating pan. Remove and serve.

CHOCOLATE-COVERED ALMOND CAKE

Steps:

• Make the almond cake - place the almonds and 1/2 cup of the sugar in a food processor and process till very finely ground.
• Place the eggs in a warm mixing bowl and using an electric mixer, beat them till fluffy about 1 minute.
• Add the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and continue beating at high speed till the eggs are pale yellow and approximately triple in volume, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Working in batches, beat in the almond mixture and the flour, alternating with the olive oil and milk.
• Stir in the lemon zest and cinnamon.
• Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°.
• Line the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan with a circle of waxed paper.
• Generously butter the paper and the sides of the pan.
• Scrape the batter into the prepared springform pan and tap it on a counter to level the batter.
• Bake the cake on the center rack until a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.
• Let cake cool on a rack for about 20 minutes.
• While the cake is cooling, make the rum syrup: place the rum and sugar in a small saucepan.
• Add 1/2 cup water and heat, stirring over medium heat till the sugar is completely dissolved, about 2 minutes.
• Run a thin knife around the side of the cake to loosen it, then remove the side of the pan.
• Invert the cake onto a plate and remove the bottom of the pan and the waxed paper.
• Prick the cake all over with a fork and generously brush it with the rum syrup, waiting for the syrup to be absorbed before brushing on more.
• Cover the cake loosely with plastic wrap and let stand for about 1 hour to fully absorb the syrup.
• Make the chocolate ganache - place the cream in a small, heavy saucepan and heat it over medium heat till it is hot but not boiling, and begins to bubble around the edge.
• Place the chocolate in a metal bowl and pour the hot cream over it all at once.
• Let the cream stand while the chocolate melts, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Using a rubber spatula, slowly stir the chocolate mixture in a circular motion, starting at the center of the bowl and working your way out to the side.
• Be careful not to stir too vigorously or you will add too much air to the ganache.
• Keep stirring till all the chocolate is melted and completely blended with the cream.
• (If by some chandce the ganache breaks - looks oily or curdled - you can fix it by heating 1/4 cup of heavy cream to a simmer, transfer it to a bowl and whisk in the broken ganache bit by bit).
• Let the ganache stand at room temp till thickened but spreadable, about 1 hour.
• Place the cake on a cake platter, spread the ganache generously over the top and sides, and chill for 30 minutes to 1 hour before serving.

CHOCOLATE-COVERED ALMONDS

Steps:

• Melt and temper the chocolate (see pages 25-30). Place the almonds in a 2-quart mixing bowl and pour one-third of the chocolate over them. Use a rubber spatula to mix and stir the almonds and chocolate together, completely coating the nuts. Continue to stir for a few minutes until the chocolate begins to set up around the nuts. If the chocolate takes longer than 6 minutes to set up, place the bowl in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 minutes, then separate any clusters that may have formed.
• Pour half of the remaining chocolate over the nuts and stir again until the chocolate sets up around the nuts. Repeat with the remaining chocolate.
• Sift the cocoa powder together with the confectioners' sugar or pulse them together in the bowl of a food processor. Transfer the mixture to a large, strong plastic bag. Place about half the almonds in the plastic bag, seal the top, and shake the bag well to coat the nuts.
• Line a baking sheet with waxed paper. Pour the nuts and cocoa mixture into a large strainer set over a bowl. Separate the nuts and place them on the baking sheet. Transfer the cocoa mixture to the plastic bag and repeat with the remaining almonds.
• Store the almonds between layers of waxed paper in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. Serve the almonds at room temperature.

CHOCOLATE COVERED BACON WITH ALMONDS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Place bacon on a sheet tray and cook until crisp, about 25 minutes.
• Melt chocolate in double boiler over low heat.
• Dip crisp bacon in chocolate and place back on sheet tray.
• Sprinkle with almonds and refrigerate for 30 minutes or until ready to serve.