I love making Christmas treats for my family, however I love giving them away for gifts even more. I love to see their reaction as they open it up. This year we made Chocolate Nut and Fruit Clusters because they only take a few minutes and taste delicious. We wrapped them up in cellophane bags, but you could buy those tins or boxes and make them a little fancier if you’d prefer. I also put them on my cookie tray for something different too. You can swap out the nuts for whatever you’d prefer and even swap the fruit. Just make sure you keep the ratio of chocolate to nut/fruit the same so they’ll turn out perfect every time!

Chocolate Nut Clusters

Ingredients

4 packages (4 oz. each) 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate
1/2 cup almonds, chopped
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
1/2 cup unsalted dry roasted peanuts
1 cup raisins

Instructions

1. Line two 11 x 17-inch sheet pans with wax paper.
2. Break the chocolate into pieces and place them in a double boiler over very low simmering water; stir occasionally until completely melted.
3. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the rest of the ingredients.
4. Let it stand for 5 minutes, so the chocolate can thicken up.
5. Stir the mixture well.
6. For each chocolate nut cluster, drop one heaping tablespoon of mixture about one inch apart.
10. Place the pans in the refrigerator for 20 minutes to cool and set.
11. Let the clusters stand at room temperature for at least 4 hours before you pack them in gift bags.