Chocolate Orange Almond Clusters Recipes

ALMOND AND CHOCOLATE CLUSTERS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Lightly grease the mini-muffin tins with vegetable oil spray. Place 1 teaspoon of slivered nuts in each of the muffin cups. Unwrap the caramel candies, cut each candy into quarters and place 4 quarters (1 candy) in each of the muffin cups on top of the nuts in a single layer. Bake in the oven until the caramel is just melted and beginning to spread, about 8 minutes. Be careful not to over melt the caramel or it will bubble, burn, and become too hard. Place the mini muffin tins in the refrigerator for 5 minutes to cool. Remove the nut clusters from the tins and set aside.
• Meanwhile, melt the bittersweet chocolate in a double boiler over low heat. Wisk 2 to 3 tablespoons of cream into the chocolate to slightly thin the chocolate for coating the clusters. Dip half of the nut clusters in the bittersweet chocolate and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Return the clusters to the refrigerator to harden, about 30 minutes.
• Melt the white chocolate in a double boiler over low heat. Wisk 2 to 3 tablespoons of cream into the chocolate to slightly thin the chocolate for coating the clusters. Dip remaining half of the nut clusters in the white chocolate and place on the parchment paper-lined baking sheet with the other chocolate-covered clusters. Return the clusters to the refrigerator to harden, about 30 minutes.

OMG CHOCOLATE AND ALMOND CLUSTERS COPYCAT RECIPE

Steps:

• Line a cookie pan with aluminum foil, and spray lightly with a vegetable oil cooking spray.
• Put the almonds on a cutting board and cut the slivers into halves or thirds. Place in a 2 cup or larger bowl.
• Put the General Mills Golden Grahams Cereal in the bowl with the almonds. Stir in the Heat English Toffee Bits (also called Heath Bits 'O Brickle Toffee Bits}.
• Place the chocolate chips in a 2 quart microwave safe bowl, melt in a microwave oven using 50% power, stirring every 30 seconds until fully melted.
• Gently mix the cereal mixture into the melted chocolate chips, trying not to break up the cereal squares.
• Spoon mixture onto the tin foil in the cookie pan a tablespoon at a time and chill in the refrigerator until set (usually sets in 30 minutes in the refrigerator, but that might vary depending on the brand of chocolate you use). When set, lift clusters from the tin foil and peel it away. OR - Spread the mixture evenly over the tin foil in the cookie pan into a ½ to ¾ inch layer, chill in the refrigerator until set, then remove the layer from the pan and break into about 2 inch-square pieces.
• Store in a re-sealable container.
• Note, Graham crackers can be used instead of the General Mills Golden Graham Cereal. Use four graham cracker squares, breaking them into 1/2 to 3/4 inch pieces. Add both the pieces and the crumbs to the almonds in the bowl. The cereal is more like the original candy, but the graham crackers are also good.

ORANGE HAZELNUT CHOCOLATE CLUSTERS

Steps:

• Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler over hot, not simmering, water, stirring frequently with a rubber spatula to ensure even melting. Remove the double boiler from the heat, remove the top pan containing the chocolate, wipe it dry, and set aside briefly. Replace the water in the bottom pan with lukewarm tap water, set the pan of chocolate on top of this, and stir gently to reduce the temperature of the chocolate (10 to 15 minutes). It will begin to get a bit thicker as it cools. If using a thermometer, it should register 95°F.
• Again remove the top pan of chocolate from the water and replace the water in the bottom pan with tap water that is a few degrees warmer than the chocolate. If using the same thermometer to check the temperature of the chocolate and the water, be sure to dry it completely so no water mixes with the chocolate. Set the pan of chocolate over the pan of warm water. The warm water will hold the chocolate at the correct temperature so that it does not cool too fast.
• In a bowl, mix the hazelnuts thoroughly with the chopped candied orange peel. Stir this mixture into the chocolate, making sure that the nuts and peel are thoroughly coated with the chocolate.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment or waxed paper. Spoon out clusters 1 inch in diameter onto the sheet, leaving 1 inch of space between them. Let the clusters set up at room temperature, or chill them in the refrigerator for 15 minutes, then place them in paper candy cups. In a tightly covered container wrapped in several layers of aluminum foil, the clusters will keep for 1 month in the refrigerator or 2 months in the freezer. The clusters are best served at room temperature.
• VARIATIONS
• Orange Almond Chocolate Clusters: Replace the hazelnuts with toasted, whole, unblanched almonds.
• White Chocolate Orange Almond Clusters: Replace the bittersweet chocolate with white chocolate and replace the hazelnuts with toasted, whole, unblanched almonds.
• Orange Pecan Chocolate Clusters: Replace the hazelnuts with toasted pecans.
• Cherry Almond Chocolate Clusters: Replace the candied orange peel with 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon roughly chopped dried cherries and replace the hazelnuts with toasted, whole, unblanched almonds.
• Cranberry Almond Chocolate Clusters: Replace the candied orange peel with 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon roughly chopped sweetened dried cranberries and replace the hazelnuts with toasted, whole, unblanched almonds.
• White Chocolate Apricot Hazelnut Clusters: Replace the bittersweet chocolate with white chocolate and replace the candied orange peel with roughly chopped dried apricots.