Get a head start on the holiday season with a batch of homemade chocolate clusters studded with dried fruit and nuts.
What is it about the combination of chocolate with fruit and nuts that’s so appealing?
Maybe it’s the variety of textures; so pleasantly smooth, crunchy and chewy in every bite. Or is it the enticing combination of salty and sweet flavors? Whatever the reason, it’s generally a crowd pleaser, especially around the holidays.
These bite-sized pistachio chocolate clusters are easy to whip up whenever you need a sweet treat. You can make a dozen of them in minutes with ingredients that you may already have in your pantry, which makes them a perfect last-minute gift. Pack them in a pretty box, and you’ve got yourself a gift that will please any chocolate lover on your list.
How to Make Chocolate Clusters:
You start by lightly glazing toasted pistachios with a salted maple caramel. To that you add a handful of sweet, dried, white mulberries. If you’ve never had mulberries they’re chewy like raisins with a mild fig-like flavor but lower in sugar and pack a nice dose of vitamin C and anti-oxidants. I’ve also called for just a tiny pinch of sea salt to the top of each of the clusters as well for a nice finish.
Of course you can substitute raisins or your favorite dried fruit if you’d prefer and the same goes for the pistachios (almonds and dried cherries, perhaps). That’s the beauty of a recipe like this; you can treat it as a template for your own favorite flavors.
Dark, rich and studded with caramelized fruit and nuts, these mulberry pistachio chocolate clusters make for a nice after-dinner treat, so make sure to make a batch for yourself as well while you’re at it!
Serves 12
Sylvie Shirazi
Yields 12 clusters
Dark, rich and studded with caramelized fruit and nuts, these mulberry pistachio chocolate clusters make for a nice after dinner treat.
45 minPrep Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- ¼ cup/ 28g raw pistachios, coarsely chopped
- 1 ½ Tablespoons/22g maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon/5 g coconut oil
- Pinch of sea salt
- 8oz/225g good quality dark chocolate, finely chopped
- ¼ cup/28g dried white mulberries
- Fleur de sel for finishing chocolates
- mini paper cups
Instructions
- Place 12 mini paper cups on a tray.
- Prepare a piece of parchment on a tray.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place chopped pistachios on a baking sheet and toast until fragrant and lightly browned (about 8-10 minutes).
- Heat the maple syrup, coconut oil and a pinch of salt in a small skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture darkens and thickens (about 2 minutes.) Do not let burn.
- Stir in the toasted pistachios and coat completely in the caramel before removing from the pan from the heat. Quickly pour and spread the mixture out over the prepared parchment.
- Let cool completely and break into pieces.
- Either place half the chocolate in a bowl sitting over a saucepan of just boiled water and allow the chocolate to melt slowly stirring occasionally, or place half the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and on high in 20 seconds intervals, stirring and repeating until chocolate just melts.
- Let cool for 2-3 minutes then stir in the remaining chocolate and stir gently until melted. Cool another 2-3 minutes and mix in half of the glazed pistachios and dried mulberries.
- Immediately drop using a teaspoon into the paper cups. Top with remaining pistachios, mulberries and a pinch of salt. Refrigerate until chocolate is set (about 30 minutes).
- Chocolate clusters can be stored in an airtight container.
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Sylvie Shirazi is the recipe developer and food photographer behind Gourmande in the Kitchen. For the last 10 years she’s been making eating more healthfully easy and accessible with gluten-free, grain-free, paleo and vegan recipes that are free from processed ingredients.
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