Crunchy Nut Clusters

Submitted by LMillerRN

"Customizing these candies is a snap. Just choose the nuts -- either macadamias or pecans -- then blend them with toasted coconut and the chocolate of your choice."

 

• Ready In: 2hrs 30mins
• Ingredients: 6
• Yields: 4 dozen

ingredients

• 4 dozen paper baking cups (candy cups)
• 2 2⁄3 cups sweetened flaked coconut
• 1 cups pecans or (6 ounce) jar macadamia nuts, chopped
• 2 2⁄3 cups white chocolate or 2 2/3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

• For the glaze

• 1⁄3 cup white chocolate or 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate, melted with
• 1⁄2 tablespoon vegetable shortening

directions

1. Line 4 miniature muffin pans with candy cups; set them aside. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the coconut and nuts on separate cookie sheets. Bake each until golden brown, about 9 minutes for the nuts and 10 for the coconut, stirring every few minutes to keep them from burning. Let them cool.
2. Combine the toasted coconut and nuts in a medium-size bowl. Melt the chocolate chips -- white or semisweet -- in the microwave according to the package directions. Add the melted chocolate to the coconut mixture; stir well. Drop the mixture by heaping teaspoonfuls into the candy cups. Chill until set, about 45 minutes.
3. Melt the remaining chocolate according to the package directions. Pour the contents into a ziplock bag. Snip off a small corner of the bag, then drizzle the chocolate over the clusters. Chill until the glaze is set, about 15 minutes. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Reviews

[ShaGun]

These were tasty and looked nice. I made these for Christmas & drizzled them with melted white chocolate mixed with red & green food dye.