Thank you all for the well wishes and good thoughts this week. I'm still not quite back to perfect health but my time is up as my husband is now sick.
I wanted to give one final Chocolate Fantasy recipe to close out this tea party theme. Coming up on Monday will be an Easter Brunch Tea Party so be sure to stop back then.
3 1/2 cups whole macadamia nuts
3/4 cup corn syrup
21 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted
1 3/4 cups powdered sugar, optional
1 3/4 cups unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder, optional
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Place the nuts in a large mixing bowl. Add the corn syrup and stir until evenly coated. Place the nuts on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven. Using a wooden spoon, transfer the nuts onto a parchment paper-covered baking sheet pan. Do not touch them, as they are extremely hot. Let them cool at room temperature, or if possible, place them in the freezer.
When completely cooled, break apart any nut clusters that may have formed. Place the cooled nuts in a large mixing bowl. Slowly add one third of the bittersweet chocolate, one ladleful at a time. Fold the nuts until they are thoroughly coated and the chocolate has set. If you do not fold immediately, the chocolate will set and the nuts will stick together.
Add another third of the chocolate and fold thoroughly until set. Add the remaining third and fold thoroughly being sure all the nuts are well coated. Separate any clusters of nuts that may have formed.
If you serve the nuts as they are, let the chocolate set completely. If you decide to move on to the next step, do not wait for the chocolate to set completely. Add the powdered sugar or cocoa powder and stir until all of the nuts are well coated. If you'd like to coat half of the nuts in powdered sugar and the other half in cocoa powder, start with the powdered sugar. Before serving, place the nuts in a sieve to remove any excess sugar or cocoa powder. The nuts will keep at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
