80 minutes
A rich and indulgent treat featuring roasted macadamia nuts enveloped in salted chocolate.
Roasted Unsalted Macadamia Nuts
cups
teaspoons
Unsweetened Chocolate, chopped
0 oz
tablespoons
Powdered Erythritol Sweetener
cups
Cocoa Powder
tablespoons
teaspoons
teaspoons
Flaked Sea Salt, for garnish
to taste
1. Prepare the muffin pan
Line a 12-cup muffin pan with 10 parchment paper cupcake liners or silicone liners, and set aside 10 macadamia nut halves for garnish.
2. Process macadamia nuts
Place the remaining macadamia nuts into a food processor or blender and grind them into coarse crumbs. Add 2 teaspoons of avocado oil or macadamia nut oil to the mixture, and process until it transforms into a smooth butter.
3. Melt chocolate mixture
In a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, combine the macadamia nut butter, 1 ounce of chopped unsweetened chocolate, and 2 tablespoons of coconut oil. Stir gently, allowing the gentle heat to melt everything together into a smooth mixture.
4. Incorporate sweetener and cocoa powder
Once melted, whisk in 0.25 cup of powdered erythritol sweetener, 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder, 0.5 teaspoon of vanilla extract, and 0.125 teaspoon of fine sea salt until fully incorporated.
5. Fill muffin cups
Divide the chocolate mixture evenly among the 10 lined muffin cups, filling each about one-third full. Place the muffin pan in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes to let the clusters start to set.
6. Garnish and firm up
After chilling, press a macadamia nut half into each cluster and sprinkle with a bit of flaked sea salt for garnish. Return the muffin pan to the refrigerator and let the clusters firm up completely, which will take about 1 hour.
Mix in pecans and add orange zest to the melted chocolate for a citrusy note.
Add a teaspoon of espresso powder to the melted dark chocolate before mixing in roasted hazelnuts.
Use white chocolate and mix in almonds. Once spooned onto the baking sheet, top each cluster with freeze-dried raspberries.
Add dollops of peanut butter to the melted chocolate before stirring in roasted peanuts. Use a toothpick to swirl for a marbled effect.
Dip the clusters in dark chocolate as per your original recipe, and then drizzle with a contrasting chocolate, such as white or milk chocolate. The visual appeal and the interplay of different chocolate types can be quite alluring.
Use high-quality chocolate, preferably in the 60-70% cacao range, and whole, unsalted macadamia nuts for their rich, buttery crunch.
Temper chocolate to achieve a glossy finish and a satisfying snap. Use a digital thermometer to carefully monitor the temperature throughout the process.
Use a flaky sea salt like Maldon and sprinkle sparingly over the clusters just after spooning them onto the parchment to enhance the overall taste.
Toast them until golden brown to enhance their flavor and add a delightful contrast to the creamy chocolate.
Allow clusters to cool and set completely at room temperature to prevent chocolate bloom.
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