Forum Thermomix

Thermomix Recipes for TM5 and TM31 => Desserts => Topic started by: EmeraldSue on June 03, 2012, 11:05:06 am

Title: Chocolate and Almond Clusters
Post by: EmeraldSue on June 03, 2012, 11:05:06 am
These are great as a nibble with coffee, and also make nice gifts. The original recipe was published in the Adelaide Advertiser many years ago and I have made them many times since. This recipe can easily be halved if you don't want to tempt yourself too much. They are also gluten free.

Ingredients:
250g slivered almonds
90 g pure icing sugar
30 ml Cointreau
300g dark or milk chocolate

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 160C
2. Place almonds, icing sugar and Cointreau in the bowl and knead/interval setting for 10 seconds or until combined
3. Spread onto baking paper on a tray and bake in oven for 10-15 minutes until nuts are toasted and starting to colour, and the sugar is crystallised.
4. Leave to cool and break into clumps.
5. Melt chocolate and mix through the almond clumps.
6. Spoon small clusters onto baking paper and leave to set. Store in an airtight container.
(http://img.tapatalk.com/0e0210fc-3671-3a48.jpg)
(http://img.tapatalk.com/0e0210fc-3688-b9c4.jpg)
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Members' comments
Uni - Ii make them with whole almonds.

CC - Slivered almonds unavailable in the UK, will flakes almonds be OK?

Uni - CC I have made them with flaked almonds, just be extra careful when stirring.

AliRo - any thoughts on what I could put in instead of cointreau?  We don't have alcohol in this house so I'm not sure what I could sub it for?

Answers given  - orange juice, orange water or a small amount of orange oil.

ES - I took them to a birthday lunch and they were so popular that there weren't any left for me. (I should have kept one at home just for me). I often make them at Christmas time and give them as gifts. I will try Uni's idea of whole almonds too.
The cointreau is used to moisten the icing sugar so it sticks to the nuts and helps crystallise the sugar. There is just a subtle orange flavour from the Cointreau, so I think that orange juice or water with a little orange oil would work instead of the Cointreau .

Courton - Well I used Sambucca and taste wise, it is good.



Title: Re: Chocolate and Almond Clusters
Post by: judydawn on June 03, 2012, 11:16:01 am
I like the special ingredient in there ES  ;)
Title: Re: Chocolate and Almond Clusters
Post by: Cornish Cream on June 03, 2012, 11:30:55 am
For some reason you can't buy slivered almonds in the UK. Might have to use flaked almonds ;) Thanks ES :-*
Title: Re: Chocolate and Almond Clusters
Post by: fundj&e on June 03, 2012, 11:33:50 am
CC i have made them with flaked almonds, just be extra careful when stiring
Title: Re: Chocolate and Almond Clusters
Post by: Cornish Cream on June 03, 2012, 11:34:40 am
CC i have made them with flaked almonds, just be extra careful when stiring
Thanks Uni  :-* :-*
Title: Re: Chocolate and Almond Clusters
Post by: fundj&e on June 03, 2012, 11:37:05 am
i make them with whole almonds
Title: Re: Chocolate and Almond Clusters
Post by: Cornish Cream on June 03, 2012, 11:38:45 am
i make them with whole almonds
Brilliant thinking ;) :-*
Title: Re: Chocolate and Almond Clusters
Post by: AliRo on June 04, 2012, 07:36:01 am
any thoughts on what I could put in instead of cointreau?  We don't have alcohol in this house so I'm not sure what I could sub it for?
Title: Re: Chocolate and Almond Clusters
Post by: judydawn on June 04, 2012, 07:46:49 am
AliRo, cointreau is an orange flavoured liqueur so I would substitute it with fresh orange juice
Title: Re: Chocolate and Almond Clusters
Post by: faffa_70 on June 04, 2012, 08:47:50 am
... or orange water or a small amount of orange oil  ;)
Title: Re: Chocolate and Almond Clusters
Post by: Amy :-) on June 04, 2012, 09:01:47 am
Yummmmy, thanks ES!! :D I might add these to my list of recipe ideas for that bake sale I'm eventually going to get to do ;)

I will also be substituting for the cointreau, so thanks AliRo for asking that question :-* I will use OJ :)
Title: Re: Chocolate and Almond Clusters
Post by: dede on June 04, 2012, 11:40:21 am
If I made these I would eat the whole lot by myself :) , I love chocolate and nuts yum yum :)
Title: Re: Chocolate and Almond Clusters
Post by: Amy :-) on June 04, 2012, 12:02:57 pm
If I made these I would eat the whole lot by myself :) , I love chocolate and nuts yum yum :)

 ;D ;D ;D
Mandi, if I ate all these myself, I would:
a) Not make any money
b) Get really fat
c) Have to hide all evidence that I ever made them, otherwise everyone else would be really jealous
d) Probably be sick
e) Feel like a piggy wiggy *snort*

But I would very happy to make them, enjoy a couple, and share the rest with everyone!! :D :D :D
Title: Re: Chocolate and Almond Clusters
Post by: dede on June 04, 2012, 12:14:39 pm
Bugger that Amy, I wouldn't share with anyone. They are all mine lol :D
Title: Re: Chocolate and Almond Clusters
Post by: Amy :-) on June 04, 2012, 12:19:42 pm
Bugger that Amy, I wouldn't share with anyone. They are all mine lol :D

Lol I can tell you're a mother of five Mandi ;) ;D
Title: Re: Chocolate and Almond Clusters
Post by: EmeraldSue on June 04, 2012, 12:30:13 pm
I took them to a birthday lunch and they were so popular that there weren't any left for me. Sob. (I should have kept one at home just for me). I often make them at Christmas time and give them as gifts. I will try Uni's idea of whole almonds too.
The cointreau is used to moisten the icing sugar so it sticks to the nuts and helps crystallise the sugar. There is just a subtle orange flavour from the Cointreau, so I think that orange juice or water with a little orange oil would work intead of the Cointreau .
Title: Re: Chocolate and Almond Clusters
Post by: cookie1 on June 04, 2012, 01:01:09 pm
I'd be like Mandi and end up eating them all before anyone even knew I'd made them.
Title: Re: Chocolate and Almond Clusters
Post by: Amy :-) on June 04, 2012, 01:20:21 pm
*sigh* :-))

At least you're honest girls lol :D :D
Title: Re: Chocolate and Almond Clusters
Post by: courton on June 28, 2012, 09:07:44 am
I do not have Cointreau. However, I do have sambucca and rum - would either work as substitutes?
Title: Re: Chocolate and Almond Clusters
Post by: judydawn on June 28, 2012, 09:20:01 am
I found this sauce on Taste.com Courton and they substituted Cointreau with sambuca.

Cointreau chocolate sauce: Reduce the cream to 160ml (2/3 cup). Replace the brown sugar with 60g (1/4 cup) caster sugar. Stir in 2 tbs of Cointreau liqueur at the end of step 3 (you can replace the Cointreau with Frangelico, Creme de menthe or Sambuca).
A cheaper version of cointreau is triple sec.
Title: Re: Chocolate and Almond Clusters
Post by: courton on June 28, 2012, 09:21:11 am
Thanks for your help...yet again JD!  :)
Title: Re: Chocolate and Almond Clusters
Post by: courton on July 01, 2012, 08:59:46 am
Well i used Sambucca and taste wise, it is good. Just a minor query emerald sue, do you put all the almonds in a lot of melted choc or do you dip the individual pieces? My version looks scrappy and not as good looking as yours since I tried the dip method.
Title: Re: Chocolate and Almond Clusters
Post by: EmeraldSue on July 01, 2012, 01:11:01 pm
No, I just pour all the almonds into the chocolate (or vice versa) and then use the two spoon method to drop spoonfuls onto the baking paper to set.
Title: Re: Chocolate and Almond Clusters
Post by: courton on July 01, 2012, 01:13:07 pm
Thanks - shall try it next time!