Oaxacan Cinnamon Chocolate Macaroons

Amanda & Merrill’s Notes:

Serves 40 1.5 inch cookies or 20 sandwiches

• 100 grams egg whites (about 3 eggs, left at room temperature for 24 hours)
• 50 grams granulated sugar
• 125 grams almond flour (Bob’s Red Mill, made from ground blanched almonds)
• 175 grams confectioners sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 3 teaspoons cocoa powder or raw cacao
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 pinch cream of tartar

• 150 grams Mexican chocolate (can be found in most supermarkets, gourmet shops, or ordered online)
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream

1. Measure egg whites and allow to sit at room temperature for 24 hours in a covered bowl. Aging the whites helps them thin and will create a better textured macaroon.
2. Line two cookie pans with parchment paper and trace 1.5 inch circles on the paper, keeping the circles about one inch apart. Preheat your oven to 300 F.
3. Pulse the almond flour, confectioners sugar, cinnamon and cocoa in a food processor until it is a finely mixed powder. Sift into a large bowl.
4. Put egg whites in stainless steel bowl and beat on low with a hand mixer until frothy. Add salt and cream of tartar, and slowly mix in the granulated sugar. Once the sugar is all incorporated, increase mixer speed to medium and beat until meringue forms stiff peaks. The meringue should look glossy and remain in place when the bowl is tipped on its side.
5. Using a silicone spatula, fold the almond and sugar mixture into the egg whites one-third at a time. You do not have to be gentle, instead use brisk strokes to fold the mixture together completely, this will help reduce the air in the meringue and keep the macaroons from being too puffy.
6. Spoon the mixture into a pastry bag or a ziplock. If using a ziplock, cut off a 1/4 inch tip from the corner. Pipe the mixture in a spiral to fill each 1.5 inch circle on the parchment paper. Allow the unbaked cookies to sit out for 30 minutes, until the cookies have a matte texture and are no longer sticky.
7. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Allow to cool and then peel very gently off the parchment paper.
8. Make ganache while the cookies cool. Melt chocolate in double boiler. Whisk in heavy cream and butter and stir mixture over gently boiling water until it is smooth and shiny.
9. When the cookies and filling are cool, spread or pipe the ganache on the flat side of one macaroon and create a sandwich with a second one.
10. Eat.

White Chocolate Snowflakes

Photo: Sarah Shatz

Makes about 40 snowflakes

• 1 pound white chocolate, chopped
• 2 1/2 cups Rice Krispies
• 1 cup salted roasted peanuts

1. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler, stirring until smooth. Stir in the Rice Krispies and the peanuts, coating the dry ingredients evenly in the chocolate.
2. Drop rounded teaspoonfuls of the mixture in little mounds onto a baking sheet lined with wax paper or parchment (no need to space them apart too much as you won’t be baking them, so they won’t spread). Refrigerate uncovered until the chocolate hardens, at least 30 minutes, before eating. Once they’ve hardened, store the snowflakes in the refrigerator in a sealed container so the chocolate doesn’t melt.

Chewy Sugar Cookies #2

By mrslarkin, posted 8 months ago

Photo: Sarah Shatz

• This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Chewy Sugar Cookie.

Amanda & Merrill’s Notes:

Mrslarkin’s classic sugar cookie makes use of three sugars: granulated, light brown and turbinado. The granulated gives the cookie a foundation of sweetness, the light brown adds caramel notes and the turbinado’s in there for a little snap. They’re crisp and buttery on the edges and chewy through the center. Perfect for dunking and ice cream sandwiches, we think! Note, if baking them on a dark, non-stick baking sheet, reduce the oven temperature by 25 degrees (this is a good general rule for all baking). - A&M One of the things I like best about this sugar cookie is that it’s not tooth-achingly sweet. It’s got a nice proportion of crunch-to-chew. And it’s so sparkly from the turbinado sugar! The inspiration behind this cookie came from the New York Times’ chocolate chip cookie recipe, printed March 1, 2000, one of the best chewy cookies I’ve ever tasted. - mrslarkin

Serves about 2 dozen

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/2 cup all-purpose unbleached flour (I use King Arthur)
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup turbinado, or course sugar

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line 2 large sheet pans with parchment paper.
2. Cream butter and sugars for 1 minute. Scrape sides of bowl. Continue beating for another minute. Scrape bowl again.
3. Add vanilla. Beat for 1 minute. Scrape sides of bowl.
4. Add egg. Beat for 1 minute. Scrape sides of bowl.
5. Add flour, salt and baking soda. Beat 1 minute. Scrape sides of bowl and beat for another minute.
6. Place course sugar in small, shallow bowl. Using a small cookie/ice cream scoop (mine is 1 ½“ in diameter), scoop balls of dough and drop a few at a time in the course sugar and gently roll around. Place balls of dough on parchment, leaving about 1 ½“ space around each. My pans fit 12 cookies very comfortably.
7. Do not press the balls down. This will ensure a chewy middle.
8. Bake for 8 - 10 minutes, turning and reversing pans midway through baking. Resist the urge to bake your cookies longer, or they won’t be chewy. The tops don’t get much color, but the bottoms will be nicely golden.
9. Place pans on cooling racks. When cool, store cookies in air-tight containers.

Figgy Pudding Butter Cookies

By Helenthenanny, posted about 1 year ago

Photo: Sarah Shatz

• This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Holiday Cookie.

Amanda & Merrill’s Notes:

Like mince pies in cookie form, these delicate biscuits melt in your mouth, leaving a hit of sweet figs and a whisper of brandy on your tongue. Helenthenanny’s rich, sophisticated cookies are not only delicious to eat but also lovely to look at, drizzled as they are with a spiced brandy glaze. Make sure to squeeze as much liquid as possible from the softened figs, and do not be alarmed if the dough seems wet before you chill it — it will firm up in the fridge. - A&M My little invention smells and tastes just like the holidays! I got this idea from the traditional ingredients in figgy pudding. These little butter cookies are studded with chunks of soft fig, orange zest, cinnamon, and nutmeg, AND they get a generous drizzle of brandy-sugar glaze. The aroma from making these delicious cookies fills your house with holiday cheer, and the buttery goodness will fill your belly too!

Serves 3 dozen small cookies

For the Cookies:

• 1 tablespoon orange zest (from one orange)
• 8-10 large dried Turkish or Caliymirna Figs (the light brown ones)
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 1/2 cup All Purpose Flour
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 cups (or 1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cups Confectioners sugar
• 1 large egg

For the Brandy-Sugar Glaze:

• 1 1/2 cup Confectioners sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons Brandy
• 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1. Sift together flour, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon in a bowl and set it aside.
2. Dice figs into small chunks and put them in a saucepan with the milk. Heat on low, stirring occasionally for about 15.
3. Put 1 1/2 sicks of softened butter in the bowl of the electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on med-high until the butter is fluffy, about two minutes.
4. Sift 3/4 cup of confectioners sugar into the fluffy butter and mix until smooth.
5. Add in one egg and reduce speed to low.
6. Add in flour mixture and mix until just combined.
7. Strain the figs from the milk. Add them, along with the orange zest, to the dough. Fold in until the ingredients are evenly distributed. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for 2 hours.
8. After the dough has cooled, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. On a well-floured surface, roll out the dough until it is 1/8 inch thick. Using a 2 inch round cookie cutter, cut out the cookies and place them on a parchment lined cookie sheet, spaced one inch apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.
9. While the cookies are baking, combine all the ingredients for the Brandy-Sugar Glaze in a saucepan on med-low heat, and stir often, until the sauce comes together. After the cookies have cooled, use a fork to drizzle the warm glaze on them.
10. Please enjoy and have the happiest of holidays!

Mom’s Flapjacks

By Londonfoodieny

Photo: Melanie.Einzig

• This recipe was entered in the contest for The Best Recipe or Technique Your Mother Taught You.

Amanda & Merrill’s Notes:

Probably not the sort of flapjacks you have in mind, these are what all granola bars aspire to be. Chewy, crispy and rich with butter, these oatmeal squares (or wedges, like ours) are made with golden syrup (the British answer to maple syrup, only milder), rolled oats, and a variety of seeds (pumpkin, sesame and sunflower). Londonfoodieny’s flapjacks couldn’t be easier to throw together (melt the butter, sugar and golden syrup, stir in the dry ingredients, spread in a pan and bake), but the rewards are great. Because of all the butter and sugar, the edges of the flapjacks crisp to a lovely golden brown, and if you cook them properly, the centers remain slightly chewy. We used a non-stick pan — otherwise, make sure to use parchment, or you’ll be scraping out the hardened sugar for days. - A&M

Serves 9-20 depending on greediness

• 1 cup butter
• 2/3 cups sugar
• heaped 1/3 cups golden syrup
• 4 1/4 cups 1 minute oats
• 1 heaping tablespoon flour
• 1 pinch salt
• 2 handfuls pumpkin seeds
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
• scant 1/4 cups sesame seeds

1. Heat the oven to 350F/180C/Gas 4. If you have a fan or convection oven reduce the temperature and cooking time but ideally turn the fan off. Line a 20 x 30 cm baking tin with greaseproof paper (parchment paper)
2. In a large pan, heat together the butter, sugar and golden syrup over a gentle heat, stirring until the butter has melted. Tip in the flour, oats, salt and seeds and stir to combine.
3. Tip your pan and spread evenly without pressing down too hard. Bake in the oven for roughly 20-25 minutes or until lightly golden (they will be slightly darker at the edges). Cut them, whilst still in the pan, straight from the oven and then leave to cool and set in the pan.

Ruggelach

By deensiebat, posted about 1 year ago

Photo: Sarah Shatz

• This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Holiday Cookie.

Amanda & Merrill’s Notes:

If you’ve ever made pizza, you can make rugelach, because all rugelach is, really, is dough rolled into a circle and spread with toppings. Pizza gets baked at this point whereas rugelach gets sliced and rolled into croissant-like shaped before going into the oven. Deensiebat’s rugelach is a cinch because you can make the soft, pliant dough in a food processor, then it’s just a matter of rolling it out, spreading it with apricot jam, walnuts and cinnamon sugar, and forming slices into crescents. The rugelach comes out tender and not too sweet, and while baking, some of the apricot juices seep out and caramelize on the parchment paper, giving the finished rugelach a candied edge. - A&M Came from my New-York-born-but-Yiddish-inflected grandma, which I adapted.

Serves 64 small cookies

Dough:

• 3 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 pound cold butter, cut in Tbsp-sized cubes
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Filling:

• 1 1/3 cup apricot jam
• 1 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cup cinnamon-sugar (1/4 cup sugar + 2 tsp cinnamon)

1. In a bowl or a food processor, mix together the flour, salt and sugar until combined. Add the butter, and pulse in the food processor or cut with a pastry cutter (or two knives) until it is reduced to bits that are about half the size of a pea. If using a food processor, dump the contents into a bowl at this point. Stir the vanilla into the sour cream. Using a spoon, and then your hands when needed, knead the sour cream and vanilla into the flour mixture until it is well incorporated, and the dough holds together when you squeeze it. Stop as soon as this is possible — do not over-mix. Shape the dough into four chubby disks, cover with plastic and allow to relax in the refrigerator for at least one hour (overnight is fine too).
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. Take a disk of dough out of the refrigerator, and place on a floured countertop or pastry mat. Roll out to a 12” circle, trimming off the ends if needed. This dough is much softer than a traditional pastry crust, so you shouldn’t need to let it warm up before rolling. Spread 1/3 cup apricot jam over the round of dough, and sprinkle with 1/3 cup nuts and 1 Tbsp cinnamon-sugar. Taking a chef’s knife or pizza cutter, divide the dough evenly into 16 wedges. Starting from the wide base of each wedge, roll towards the center to form a crescent. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment or silicone liner, making sure that the tip of the crescent is pinned underneath to prevent the cookie from unrolling. Bake until the filling is bubbling and the crust is just beginning to color, about 30 minutes. Remove to a rack to cool, being careful of the hot jam. Best enjoyed the day they are made (any leftovers are best kept in the freezer).

Tipsy Maple Corn

By thirschfeld

Photo: Sarah Shatz

• This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Halloween Treat.

Amanda & Merrill’s Notes:

We were initially seduced by “tipsy” in the title, but once we tried thirschfeld’s recipe, we fell in love with much more than the Jack-Daniels-infused syrup. There are the peanuts (we used dry roasted) and the tiny dots of pancetta — neither of which stoops to merely accessorizing the corn. The nuts give the treat heft, the pancetta salt and richness. The most important step is the oven-crisping. Be careful not to burn the edges and don’t worry if the popcorn isn’t totally crisp when you take it out of the oven — it will continue to firm up as it cools. We loved this as a Halloween treat, but it would be just as delicious paired with a good movie. - A&M Cracker Jacks were invented to be served at the 1893 Worlds Fair in Chicago. Since then there have been about as many variations as boxes sold. Not one to let that stop me I jumped right in and came up with my own version. The pancetta is key for the right salty sweet combo so make sure you add all of it. And do you see what we have to deal with around here during our photo shoots. The drive by grab and go while I am looking through the view finder. - thirschfeld

Makes 2 quarts

• 3 1/2 tablespoons bacon grease, or non flavored vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup popcorn kernels
• 1/3 cup Jack Daniels
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• fresh ground black pepper
• 1 cup peanuts
• 3 pieces pancetta, baked until crispy and minced

1. Place the bacon grease in a 3 quart dutch oven with a lid. Add the kernels and place the covered pot over high heat. Once the popping begins, gently shake the pot to keep the kernels from burning. Once it is done remove the lid and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. In another small pot add the Jack Daniels and heat it to burn off the alcohol and reduce it by half. Add the syrup and butter and heat until the butter is melted. Season with fresh ground pepper to taste.
3. Place the popcorn, peanuts and the pancetta into a large mixing bowl. You want to sprinkle a little of the syrup over the corn a little at a time. You want to stir as you do this. Take your time otherwise the corn will saturate with syrup and collapse and just be gooey.
4. Once it is coated put it on a sheet tray and spread it out. Then place it in the oven and back in for 20 to 40 minutes. Sometimes it takes longer to crisp that others so just check it and stir it around about every ten minutes.

Candied Ginger Sables

By food52

Photo: food52

This recipe was a finalist in one of our test rounds. The category was for “Favorite Holiday Cookie” and the recipe was created by our friend Teresa Parker. These rich little biscuits make for a festive twist on the classic French rendition of shortbread (sablé means “sandy” in French and refers to the crumbly texture). Brown sugar lends a mellow caramel quality, and we love the chewy morsels of candied ginger that creep up on you with a fiesty little kick towards the end of each bite. Teresa thought to simplify — and modernize — the original recipe for cut-out cookies, which came from Gourmet (June, 1992), by shaping the dough into a log and slicing it into neat discs. It may seem like a minor alteration, but it dramatically decreases the time from mixer to mouth!

Makes about 60 cookies

• 1/2 pound unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cups finely chopped candied ginger
• Confectioners’ sugar

1. In the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter, brown sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the ground ginger and salt. Add these to the butter mixture and beat on low speed until the ingredients are just combined. Add the candied ginger and beat for a few more seconds to incorporate.
2. Divide the dough in half and gently roll into two slim cylinders of about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Wrap the cylinders tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.
3. When you are ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350°F. At this point, if the cylinders have slumped or flattened at all, re-roll them a bit to make them perfectly round. Cut the dough into 1/4-inch slices and arrange them an inch apart on baking sheets (use parchment paper if your baking sheets are dark). Bake the cookies until they are light golden around the edges, about 15 minutes. Cool for a few minutes on the baking sheets and then transfer the cookies to a rack to cool completely. Dust lightly with confectioners’ sugar.

Fig and Blue Cheese Savouries

By TheRunawaySpoon, posted 23 days ago

Photo: Sarah Shatz

• This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Open House Dish.

Amanda & Merrill’s Notes:

These delicate, crumbly little thumbprints are the perfect combination of sweet and savory, as their names suggests — they’re like a great cheese plate all wrapped into one crunchy little morsel. TheRunawaySpoon’s simple food processor dough yields tender, buttery coins flecked with blue cheese and black pepper. A good quality fig jam is crucial here; if you can’t find it, quince or pear jam would also work well. - A&M If you are like me, you always offer to bring something when invited to someone’s house. I mean the offer, I always love an opportunity to cook for people, but sometimes it’s hard to come up with a quick idea on the fly. And when it’s one of those roaming parties – not a seated affair – choosing a dish that doesn’t have to be kept hot or cold or require and special equipment adds to the challenge. I tend to fall back on the same recipes, but I recently wanted to add one to my repertoire – after all, it gets to be the same people at parties, right? These little Fig and Blue Cheese bites are easy but very elegant, and the surprising tart and tangy with sweet combination is a real treat. - TheRunawaySpoon

Makes about 3 dozen

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
• Ground black pepper
• Fig preserves, about 3 Tablespoons

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Place the flour, butter, blue cheese and a few grinds of black pepper in the bowl of a food processor. Process until the dough just comes together and starts to form a ball.
3. Dump the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead a few times to pull the dough together. Roll out to 1/8 inch thick with a floured rolling pin. Cut rounds out of the dough with a floured 1-inch cutter and transfer the rounds to the parchment-lined baking sheet.
4. Using the back or a round half-teaspoon measure or your knuckle, make an indention in the top of each dough round. Spoon about ¼ teaspoon of fig preserves into each indention, using your finger to push the preserves as best as possible into the indentions.
5. Bake the savories for 10 – 14 minutes, until the preserves are bubbling and the pastry is light golden on the bottom.
6. Let cool on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes, the remove to a wire rack to cool.
7. You’ll find fig preserves at the grocery – it may be shelved with the “fancy” jams and jellies. You can make these a day ahead and keep them in two layers separated by waxed paper in an airtight container.

Gingered Cranberry Fig Chutney

By Oui, Chef

Photo: Sarah Shatz

• This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Cranberry Sauce.
• This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Vegetarian Holiday Side.

Amanda & Merrill’s Notes:

This chutney is perfect for those looking for something zippy and less sweet than a typical cranberry sauce. It combines the elements of a great chutney (mustard seeds, spices, vinegar, sugar) with other carefully selected ingredients (among them cranberries, dried figs, fresh ginger, red pepper flakes, fresh thyme and toasted hazelnuts); the result is a sophisticated, jewel-toned “cranberry sauce” with just the right ratio of sour to sweet that’s just as well-suited to roast pork or beef as it is to Thanksgiving turkey. Be careful not to cook the chutney for too long — you want it luscious and thick, not sticky. - A&M I’ve never been much of a fan of straight-up cranberry sauce, in fact, the jellied kind makes me want to gag. I much prefer a condiment like this, that is more than just cranberries and a lot of sugar. This chutney gets it’s sweetness not just from sugar, but from raisins, some OJ and dried black mission figs. The cider vinegar and lemon juice lend a sparkling acid note, and the ginger and red pepper flakes bring heat. I finished it with some chopped, toasted hazelnuts to add an earthy crunch, and some freshly minced thyme for a hint of herbal complexity. I love the way it turned out, I’ll definitely reserve a spot for it on my Thanksgiving table.

Serves 6-8

• 12 ounces fresh cranberries
• 1/4 cup yellow onion, minced
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1/3 cup hazelnuts, skinless, toasted and roughly chopped
• 8 dried black mission figs, cut into eighths
• 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, finely minced
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, finely minced

1. Add all the ingredients, with the exception of the chopped hazelnuts and fresh thyme, to a heavy bottomed pan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to bring the mix to a simmer, and cook for 20-25 minutes, stirring occassionally, until the chutney thickens some. Remove from the heat, stir in the nuts and fresh thyme and let cool slightly before serving.

Salted Almonds

By lauren, posted about 1 year ago

Photo: Sarah Shatz

Amanda & Merrill’s Notes:

This is more a concept than a prototypical recipe — which is one of the reasons we like it so much. By adding a mere suspicion of sugar to her recipe for roasted salted almonds, Lauren has come up with an unusual variation on a traditional technique. Similar recipes usually call for no sugar at all, or for a larger amount of brown sugar, but this strikes a balance. The amount of sugar is just enough to soften the saltiness without actually making the nuts taste sweet. We couldn’t stop eating them, and we’re pretty sure you won’t be able to either. Try the same technique with peanuts, pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts — whatever you have on hand. - A&M Perfect at cocktail hour, along with a stiff drink

Serves 6 to 8

• 1 pound whole almonds, shelled
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Toss the almonds in the olive oil, salt, and sugar until well coated. Bake for ten minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Ancho Chili-Cinnamon Chocolate Bark

By wanderash, posted about 1 year ago

Photo: Sarah Shatz

• This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Edible Gift.

Amanda & Merrill’s Notes:

Neither of us had ever made chocolate bark before we tried this recipe, and wanderash’s version happens to be a great introduction. Waves of smooth dark chocolate are spiced with smoky ancho, cinnamon, cloves and black pepper, and studded with dried cherries, cashews and pistachios. The finished product looks lovely, packs easily and takes a total of about 20 minutes to put together. We think it makes a great holiday gift. - A&M This is a tasty treat to spice up your fiesta or light up a lucky recipients tired holiday palate. I often make this easy dessert when I have friends coming for dinner who love wine. I know that we will sit at the table well after the meal is over and continue talking and drinking for hours. I serve this on one plate and put it in the middle of the table. It is a casual dessert, so easy to make and great with a good cabernet. I first wrapped this up a few years ago while thinking of an edible present that would not be tossed aside amongst the mountains of Christmas sugar. With so many sweets out there this subtle spicy and salty chocolate makes a great gift. Use good chocolate when making this; it will make all of the difference. And of course feel free to substitute your favorite nuts and fruits.

Serves about 3 gifts

• 1 large ancho chili
• 1 whole star anise
• 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 3 cloves
• 2” cinnamon stick
• 2/3 cups pistachio
• 2/3 cups cashews, very lightly crushed
• 12 ounces dark bittersweet chocolate, cut into small pieces
• 1/2 cup dried cherries
• kosher salt, or sea salt

1. To make the spice mix, pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Place first 5 ingredients on a baking sheet and place in oven. Toast until fragrant or about 10 min.
2. Remove steams and majority of seeds from the anchos. Place all spices in a spice grinder or coffee grinder and pulverize. You may need to grind spices in batches.
3. Toast the nuts by placing them on the baking sheet and put in the oven. Check after 10 minutes. When done, remove from oven and let cool.
4. Place ¾ of the chocolate in a bowl and slowly melt the chocolate, either in the microwave checking and stirring it every 25 seconds or over a double broiler on the stovetop.
5. When all of the chocolate is melted, take it off of the heat and add in the remaining chocolate, stir until it is completely melted.
6. Add one to two teaspoons of the spice mix. Add one at a time and taste; add more if you want it to be spicier. I like a subtle spice flavor, it keeps those eating it wondering what the secret spice could be.
7. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat. Spread out the nuts and cherries, reserving a few of the nuts to decorate the top.
8. Sprinkle salt over the nuts and cherries.
9. Pour the chocolate onto the pan, covering the nuts and cherries in an even layer. Add remaining nuts to the top of chocolate and press them into the chocolate.
10. Put in fridge and allow to cool for 45 min. Break into pieces and keep in a sealed container in the fridge.

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