Crunchy Coffee Clusters

Submitted by Annacia

""Sweet coffee, candy and nut clusters in chocolate. Not a recipe for the novice candy maker. You won't regret the effort, though. These crunchy nutty treats are better than cookies and won't last long once your guests try one!. " This is the heading on the recipe I found in and old cookbook hidden in the back room at work. I have updated the instructions but the ingredients are the same (I'm guessing that it goes back to the 20's). Anyway, it said nothing at all about time or the amount this will make. The times and amount given is a total guess on my part. I'm posting because I really want to try this recipe this Christmas season."

 

• Ready In: 1hr
• Ingredients: 7
• Yields: 4 dozen

ingredients

• 4 egg whites
• 2 1⁄2 cups brown sugar
• 1 cup nuts, chopped small
• 1⁄4 cup corn syrup
• 1⁄2 cup strong coffee
• 4 lbs chocolate, chopped
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt

directions

1. Butter a 2-quart saucepan.
2. Combine sugar, corn syrup, salt and coffee.
3. Cook on high heat until sugar dissolves and mixture comes to a boil, stir constantly.
4. Then cook to hard ball stage without stirring.
5. Remove from heat.
6. In a large chilled bowl, beat egg whites to stiff peaks stage.
7. Pour the hot syrup into the egg whites (slowly!) while beating at high speed.
8. Once the syrup is added, continue beating until you get soft peaks.
9. Add nuts and beat for another 5 minutes.
10. Let it cool down, then cover and put in the freezer.
11. In a double boiler, melt the chocolate.
12. Line several cookie sheets with waxed paper. Remove the other bowl from the freezer. Spoon out a teaspoon of the cold mixture and drop in the melted chocolate. Scoop out and place on the waxed paper.
13. Repeat.
14. When the mixture is used up, you can store any remaining chocolate for another use. Let the candies cool and harden, then store in the refrigerator.

Reviews

[Sydney Mike]

I'm not at all a coffee fan, but thoroughly enjoyed making these little tasties to share with several groups whose meetings we attend, & they were raved about no end, so I figured it was all in a good cause! Definitely worth the effort of making them it they cause that much satisfaction with your coffee-drinking friends! [Tagged & made in Please Review My Recipe]