Things have been so busy lately. I don’t know if it’s just that it is the holidays or I have piled too much on my plate but I have been feeling a bit overwhelmed the last couple of weeks.
For the most part, I am pretty good with time management and organization but lately I just don’t have enough hours in the day and my to-do lists are getting longer and longer.
One thing I crossed off my massive, headache-inducing to do list the other day was, “make homemade candy for soccer coach”. This Friday is my sons last day of soccer after two sessions with the same (awesome!) coach and we wanted to make sure we brought something festive as a little way of saying thanks. Thanks for being patient, thanks for making toddler soccer fun and most of all, thanks for planting the early seeds of teamwork!
These Salted Maple Cashew Clusters are just that, easy to make and a completely kid-friendly kitchen project. I really hope Coach Kevin likes them because it was a serious challenge to keep them out of the hands of my son and husband the last couple of days!
NOTES:
- I like to use a double boiler to melt large amounts of chocolate to prevent burning.
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Cashew Clusters Recipe. Salted Maple Cashew Clusters. Paleo. Dairy Free
- 2 cups raw whole cashews
- 2 tablespoons pure grade B Maple Syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt + more for finishing see NOTES
- 12 ounces 62% Semisweet Dark Chocolate see NOTES
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Begin by lining 2 baking sheets (1 large and 1 small) with parchment paper and set aside. Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Once hot, add cashews and toast, turning frequently, until slightly brown and soft, about 10 to 12 minutes.
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Remove to a mixing bowl and toss with maple syrup, vanilla extract and 1/4 tsp coarse sea salt.
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Transfer to small parchment lined baking sheet (in a single layer) and allow to cool completely, about 20 minutes.
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Once cool, begin melting chocolate. I like to break up the chocolate in the wrapper (less messy) and use a double boiler. You could use the microwave but I don't recommend it for this large of an amount of chocolate. See NOTES above for info on tempering.
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Transfer cooled cashews back into mixing bowl and pour melted chocolate over. Use a spatula to toss until well coated.
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Working quickly, use a tablespoon to measure heaps of the cashew-chocolate mixture onto the large parchment lined baking sheet. You should get approximately 24.
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Finish with a sprinkle of coarse sea salt and place in the freezer for 30 minutes to set the chocolate.
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Remove from freezer and allow to come to room temperature. As long as it's not too warm, these should be stable at room temperature. Store in a tin or airtight container and Enjoy!
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I couldn’t wait to try these but I only had about 1 cup of raw cashews left in the house. I had lots of pecans so I toasted a cup of each and followed the rest of the recipe exactly. They are wonderful. I think I’ll be making these for gifts for my co-workers.
Thanks.
I love Pecans (my son isn’t a big fan) and that sounds awesome!
What a wonderful gift idea these clusters are! Though seeing I love cashews it would be hard to share these!
You know what? I’ve been feeling the same way. I’ve always prided myself on being organized, and it’s not that I’ve lost that, it’s that I’m always feeling overwhelmed and slightly stressed. I hope it turns around after the holidays.
However, I will take the time to make a batch of these. The whole family loves cashews, and I love the way you’ve coated them before adding to the chocolate. My mouth is watering.
I want to dive into these!!! Such a delicious idea!!
Beautiful, Alyssa! I would be pouncing on a bowl of these instantly…I can imagine it was hard to keep little (and big!) fingers away from them. What a great gift idea. I usually make nuts or chocolate bark to give for holiday gifts and was just trying to decide which to do – your cashew clusters are the perfect answer!
I usually make chocolate bark as well but wanted to mix things up a bit!
What a great idea for a coach’s gift – I’m sure they were much appreciated. Love how easy these are to make too – that’s always the key!
These clusters sound so delicious and so easy! Such a great idea for a last-minute gift. 🙂
So sad, I want to rush home and make these right now! But alas, I am the office of loads of work.
They are so easy to make LeAna, you could whip up a batch tonight 😉
There is no way I’d be able to keep the.boy away from these…or myself for that matter! They look too good!
That is pretty much how it was over here Joanne!
These sound so good! I can never resist when chocolate is involved.
Me either! I had to package the majority of these up immediately because they were getting snatched left and right 🙂