Holidays are times of peculiar temptation. You may feel a desire to cook special treats for loved ones, friends, or co-workers even if you don't cook much for any other reason.
You can surprise and amaze you peeps with chocolate covered delights with very little effort. Buy a good quality dipping chocolate in either white or regular chocolate flavor. Select the items you want to dip or coat. Melt the chocolate over low heat or in the microwave. Be careful not to burn it. See instructions of the package.
To make nut clusters, melt the chocolate and add nuts. Stir gently. Drop by tablespoonful on a cookie sheet lined with foil or parchment. When cool, remove and serve or store for future use.
1 1/4 pound package of white or dark dipping chocolate will use about 2 pounds of nuts to make 3 1/4 pounds of nut clusters.
You can dip of coat many other items, for instance, pretzels, cookies, strawberries, peanut butter crackers, dried fruit, and chocolate truffles. You may think of others.
For the strawberries, hold them by the stem and dip them one at a time. Lay them on foil to harden. To make them extra fancy allow the first coating to harden and re-dip chocolate coated berries in white chocolate.
You may also sprinkle them with colored sugar crystals or nonpareils before they harden. To stripe the product, use a small spoon with the contrasting color of dipping chocolate and allow it to drizzle over the the cooled candy.
Do not try to add coloring to the white chocolate coating. It causes a reaction that spoils the process.
You can surprise and amaze you peeps with chocolate covered delights with very little effort. Buy a good quality dipping chocolate in either white or regular chocolate flavor. Select the items you want to dip or coat. Melt the chocolate over low heat or in the microwave. Be careful not to burn it. See instructions of the package.
To make nut clusters, melt the chocolate and add nuts. Stir gently. Drop by tablespoonful on a cookie sheet lined with foil or parchment. When cool, remove and serve or store for future use.
1 1/4 pound package of white or dark dipping chocolate will use about 2 pounds of nuts to make 3 1/4 pounds of nut clusters.
You can dip of coat many other items, for instance, pretzels, cookies, strawberries, peanut butter crackers, dried fruit, and chocolate truffles. You may think of others.
For the strawberries, hold them by the stem and dip them one at a time. Lay them on foil to harden. To make them extra fancy allow the first coating to harden and re-dip chocolate coated berries in white chocolate.
You may also sprinkle them with colored sugar crystals or nonpareils before they harden. To stripe the product, use a small spoon with the contrasting color of dipping chocolate and allow it to drizzle over the the cooled candy.
Do not try to add coloring to the white chocolate coating. It causes a reaction that spoils the process.
