Chocolate Peanut Clusters (super easy!)

This might be the easiest chocolate candy ever. It's a simple concept of mixing melted chocolate with nuts and a little bit of salt. Let the peanut clusters dry and that's it, you can eat them! Super easy, ready in 25 minutes and the perfect thing to make with kids, and for kid's birthdays. I mean, who doesn't love chocolate and peanuts together?

Homemade Chocolate Candy

This is a similar concept of what chocolate bark is, but with a different shape.

The idea of making your own chocolate bar is so appealing in my opinion, and if you, like me, thought for years that certain flavors or candies could only be achieved by huge companies with complicated, expensive machinery, the excitement and surprise after the first bite is multiplied by a gazillion. They taste superb and you know exactly what the ingredient list is. Which is always a big plus.

I love peanuts with chocolate. Yeah, who doesn't right? Peanut butter and chocolate, a flavor combination that I crave a lot, though I tend to pair with dark chocolate mostly, like the chocolate peanut butter oat bars (no-bake!) and the not-too-sweet peanut butter quick bread with chocolate sauce.

I am a huge fan of dark, semi-sweet, or bittersweet chocolate. But the first time I made these peanut clusters I opted for all types - white, milk, and bittersweet - after an idea that had been on the list of 'make now recipes' for ages. There is no shortage of recipes waiting to be made, but this one was waiting since 1987. Yeah, that long.

Ingredients

• Peanuts and salt: I highly recommend toasted peanuts because the flavor is more pronounced. I like to buy them toasted (you can do it at home if you buy natural nuts) and add some of my favorite sea salt. But to make your life easier, you can use already salted peanuts. The downside is that you can't control the amount of salt.
• Chocolate: I use a mix of the three types (semisweet, milk and white) or only dark and white. But this works with only 1 type also. Whatever you love or are in the mood for.

Step-by-step

This process is so simple, quick and easy that it's almost what I like to call a 'no recipe' recipe. And it can be boiled down to only two ingredients, peanuts and one type of chocolate, so, you get the point.

• Melt chocolates: I like to use the microwave and the best way to do that, without getting the chocolate scorched, is to use 10-15 seconds (at the most) spurts and whisk it thoroughly, until some pieces won't melt, before microwaving it again. Stop when it's all mixed (image 1, below), don't overcook it please because it goes from smooth to scorched in seconds.
• Add peanuts: and mix (image 2, below). That's all in terms of prep.

• Form mounds: use parchment paper to make your life easier. I use a ⅛ measuring cup (image 3, below), but you can use measuring tablespoons or regular ones.
• Let dry: this takes me 15 minutes but it will vary depending on how big the clusters are (image 4, below).

When are they done: the tops will dry completely and you will be able to easily lift them when they are ready to eat (image above). Take into account that sometimes the centers are still soft even though the tops are already dry. If you can't remove them easily they need a few more minutes.

Top tips

• Organization: always read the recipe before starting and make sure you have all the ingredients measured and at the right temperature, the right pan size, utensils, and enough counter space to work comfortably. 
• Chocolate: I highly recommend using already tempered chocolate for a better finish. But, since it can sometimes have other ingredients that you might not like, tempering it first is a good idea. If you don't (it's a quick step but here's a good way of tempering chocolate without a thermometer) the peanut clusters will not be shiny but the flavor will be great.
• Parchment paper: or wax paper, they both work very well and make it easy to remove once the clusters are dried.
• Easier cleaning: using parchment paper will make your life simpler because if some chocolate gets stuck you simply throw the paper away and don't have to clean the whole tray o baking sheet.
• Nuts: peanuts and chocolate never fail, but you can use hazelnuts (amazing combo!), walnuts or any other nut you like paired with chocolate.

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Adapted from Bon Appetit