Chocolate-covered almonds are my new favorite snack. With a little sea salt added to the mix, they are just phenomenal. Lately I've been seeing and buying them everywhere: Starbucks, Tedeschi, and Whole Foods each carry their own versions, all of which are irresistible to hungry grad students. I decided it was time to make my own.
These almonds are roasted, dipped in salted dark chocolate, and tossed with a bit of Dutch-processed cocoa powder. I can't stop eating them. Although the chocolate coating is not as thick as the almonds I get at the store, which must be triple-dipped, this version still does a great job of satisfying my chocolate cravings. I actually prefer the chocolate-to-almond ratio of this recipe, which allows the nutty flavor of the roasted almonds to come through. If you don't like your almonds roasted, you can also make this with raw almonds.
While I loved the way these almonds tasted, I wasn't thrilled with how they looked. It turns out it's really hard (at least for me) to get nice, smooth chocolate on something that has to be covered on all sides. Since I like everything I post here to be easy on the eyes as well as delicious, I was contemplating not posting this recipe at all; however, when I asked some of my friends on Facebook what they thought, everyone said I should go for it. So, here it is: a four-ingredient recipe for the most addictive snack on earth. I hope you like it!
Yield: About 2 cups
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted raw almonds
1 and 1/2 cups dark chocolate chips or finely-chopped dark chocolate*
A few pinches of sea salt, to taste (I used Maldon
)1 tablespoon Dutch-processed cocoa powder
*I used Guittard Extra Dark
chocolate chips. Enjoy Life
is a great option for avoiding common allergens, and Eating Evolved chocolate is sweetened with only maple syrup for those following a strict paleo diet.To roast the almonds, preheat the oven to 350. Place the almonds on a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper, and roast for 8-10 minutes, tossing once, until darker brown and fragrant. If you don't want to roast your almonds, you can skip this step.
Place the chocolate chips and a pinch or two of sea salt in a heatproof bowl or in the top of a double boiler. Melt the chocolate in over a pan of simmering water in the double boiler or by microwaving the bowl in 30-second increments, stirring in between, until smooth.
Add the almonds to the bowl with the chocolate, and stir to coat them well. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the almonds to a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone baking mat, spreading them out as much as possible so they're not all clustered together. If you have a fine-mesh cooling rack (one where the almonds won't fall through the cracks), place the rack on top of your baking sheet and put the almonds on the rack. Sprinkle with a little more sea salt if desired.
Transfer the baking sheet to the refrigerator to cool for about 15 minutes, or until set. Meanwhile, place the tablespoon of cocoa powder in a medium bowl.
When the almonds are set, break them apart as necessary and place them in the bowl with the cocoa. Cover the bowl with a pot lid, another bowl, or heavy-duty plastic wrap, and shake well to coat the almonds with the cocoa. Enjoy!
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I love chocolate covered anything! :) And I've never had much success getting the smooth chocolate-coated look either . . . there must be some trick to it.
ReplyDeleteMe too! I think you might have to temper the chocolate, and that's a little too fussy for me :-)
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