Delicious Dark Chocolate Fruit & Nut Clusters with pistachios, almonds, dried cranberries and raisins. Ready in minutes and so pretty, they make a great gift too!
When I was 14 and my sister was 19, a boy had a very big crush on my her. That in itself isn’t notable, since I don’t think there’s ever been a time when a boy hasn’t had a crush on my sister. But this particular suitor goes with today’s recipe. Let’s call him Bob.
You see – I was in high school and my sister was taking care of me because our parents were out of town. Low and behold, we couldn’t find our movie rental card and since it was long before the days of Netflix – our entertainment options were limited. Wanting to prove his devotion, Bob shows up at the house with a selection of our favorite movies (clearly, he was not aware what genre the Notebook, Mean Girls & Bring it Own fall into), a large bag of salt & vinegar chips, and a family-sized Cadbury Fruit & Nut Bar.
My sister wasn’t even home yet, so I had to break the news that maybe a date night wouldn’t be in the cards. Oh Bob…. He tried so hard.
Things didn’t work out for Bob the way he hoped, but he did have impeccable taste in chocolate.
Needless to say, now whenever I have a Cadbury Fruit & Nut – I’m always reminded of that fateful night. And having to give dating advice to a disappointed suitor.
But today, we’re making our own Fruit & Nut chocolates so you can enjoy them on your own – without having to depend on Bob for chocolate deliveries. Only we’re going to be amping up the delicious factor. Dark chocolate, raisins, dried cranberries, pistachios and toasted almonds. With those ingredients – they’re basically health food.
Actually, let’s call these Antioxidant Clusters. Because clearly – not eating one would be harming your diet.
You can use different nuts and dried fruit if you prefer, but I love how perfectly the combo goes with the dark chocolate. If your nuts aren’t pre-roasted, I’d definitely recommend toasting them on a cookie sheet in your oven for 5-10 minutes first. It really brings out the flavor and makes your kitchen smell delicious.
These would make a perfect gift, but I also love them as a tasty way to get in my daily chocolate requirements. And with 5 ingredients & about 5 minute prep time – you can’t go wrong.
Dark Chocolate Fruit & Nut Clusters
Ingredients
- 250 grams dark chocolate , I used 50% - but feel free to use whatever you like. Higher than 60-65% is likely too strong though
- Handful of toasted almonds*
- Handful of toasted pistachios*
- Handful of dried cranberries
- Handful of raisins
Instructions
- Line a large cookie sheet with parchment or wax paper and set aside.
- In a large microwave safe bowl, melt the chocolate in 30 second bursts stirring between each. Or melt using a double boiler over the stove.
- Pour the melted chocolate over the prepared cookie sheet and spread thin using a flat-edge icing knife. It should be about ⅛ to ¼ inch thick. Loosely sprinkle the almonds, pistachios, cranberries & raisins over the chocolate.
- Allow chocolate to harden. Either brake into pieces, or using a biscuit cutter, cut the chocolate into rounds.
- Store in an air-tight container at room temperature.
Notes
Nutrition
Awesome recipe and great story!