Chocolate, fruit, nuts/seeds
Hugh can’t claim to be the first to have mingled chocolate with dried fruit and something nutty, but he does think these simple treats are particularly good. Broken into rough chunks and shards, they make lovely petits fours and great little gifts.
Method
Chocolate, peanuts, raisins
Line a baking tray with baking parchment or silicone paper. Break the chocolate into pieces and put into a heatproof bowl. Place inside a larger bowl containing some just-boiled water (or over a pan of simmering water if you prefer). Leave, stirring from time to time, until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly.
Stir about one-third of the peanuts and raisins into the chocolate. Carefully pour the melted chocolate on to the lined tray, then use a palette knife to spread it fairly thinly – aim to get it to roughly the area of a piece of A4 paper. Scatter the remaining peanuts and raisins all over the top of the chocolate (quickly, before it sets). Leave to set in the fridge, then carefully remove from the paper and break into shards with your hands or a knife.
White chocolate, poppy seeds, cranberries
Line a baking tray with baking parchment or silicone paper.
Melt the chocolate (as above) and leave to cool slightly. Proceed as above, stirring about one-third of the poppy seeds and dried cranberries into the chocolate first, then spreading the chocolate thinly on to the lined tray, and scattering over the remaining seeds and cranberries. Leave to set in the fridge, then carefully remove from the paper and break into shards.
Dark chocolate, apricot, coconut
Line a baking tray with baking parchment or silicone paper. Melt the chocolate (as above) and leave to cool slightly. Proceed as above, stirring about one-third of the coconut and dried apricots into the chocolate first, then spreading the chocolate thinly on to the lined tray, and scattering over the remaining coconut and apricots. Leave to set in the fridge, then carefully remove from the paper and break into shards.
Ingredients
Chocolate, peanuts, raisins
- 200g best-quality milk chocolate
- 50g salted peanuts, very roughly chopped
- 50g raisins
White chocolate, poppy seeds, cranberries
- 200g white chocolate
- 4 teaspoons poppy seeds
- 75g dried cranberries
Dark chocolate, apricot, coconut
- 200g dark chocolate
- 50g fresh or toasted, dried coconut flesh, finely sliced
- 50g dried apricots, roughly chopped
This recipe is taken from...
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