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Woo hoo! Did you know that February 25th is National Chocolate Covered Peanuts Day?
Admittedly, I’m not the biggest fan of peanuts or peanut butter. For starters, I’ve never really seen the appeal in eating peanut butter by the spoonful, straight out of the jar. (In my opinion Nutella is a far better option!) And for snacking I’ll always choose popcorn or pretzels, rather than cocktail peanuts or a handful of mixed nuts.
There is, however, an exception to this rule: The combination of peanuts + chocolate. Somehow, chocolate just makes peanuts taste so much better! I love Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, peanut butter cookies, chocolate-peanut butter fudge, and of course, the classic Snickers Bar. And I totally dig peanut clusters and chocolate-covered peanuts, too!
What’s a Peanut Cluster?
Traditionally, “peanut clusters” feature peanuts which have been completely covered in chocolate. (Or more often, they’re made by stirring melted chocolate and roasted peanuts together.) Meanwhile, “chocolate covered peanuts” are individually-enrobed nuts, while “peanut brittle” is a mixture that has been poured out and allowed to harden, then broken into pieces.
These peanut clusters with dark chocolate and sea salt actually land somewhere in between “peanut cluster” and “peanut brittle.” But who cares, really? They’re downright delicious, no matter what you choose to call them!
Peanut Cluster Tips & Tricks
If you don’t like peanuts, or are making treats for someone with a peanut allergy, this recipe works nicely with almonds, too! And while I haven’t tried it with pistachios, but I think those could be a nice choice here as well. (Or, for a nut-free option, try my chocolate-dipped spiced pumpkin seed brittle instead.)
Rather than completely enrobing my nut clusters in chocolate, I kept this recipe a bit lighter by drizzling the chocolate instead. But by all means, feel free to temper some extra chocolate and use an enrobing fork to completely coat your clusters!
I personally enjoy the contrast dark chocolate (I used Callebaut 54.5%) provides, but milk or white chocolate are good options, too. Just be sure to choose a good-quality couverture rather than chips or chunks intended for baking. These contain added stabilizers and will not temper properly.
Some Notes on Tempering
In simplified terms, tempering describes the process of heating and cooling chocolate couverture to specific temperatures, producing chocolate with a signature shine and snap. There are numerous methods for tempering chocolate, including seeding, tabling, and direct tempering. Tempering requires time and patience; it can be complex and difficult to master.
There are numerous online chocolate tempering tutorials available, such as this one by Callebaut, and this one by Valhrona. It’s also worth checking to see if your chocolate manufacturer or supplier has a temperature guide available for their particular product.
Although in some of my recipes I suggest subbing pre-tempered candy melts in lieu of tempered chocolate, I wouldn’t suggest using them here. With so few ingredients, you really want to choose a chocolate that can stand on its own, as it’s one of the dominant flavors you’ll taste in the finished bite.
So, while it won’t have the shine (or quick-setting properties) of tempered chocolate, if you’re not up for tempering I’d opt for drizzling a good-quality untempered chocolate rather than using chocolate wafers or confectioner’s coating. Alternately, you could simply make the peanut clusters and sprinkle them with sea salt, and skip the chocolate altogether.
Other candy recipes you might enjoy:
Sea Salt Apple Cider Caramels
Spiced Pumpkin Brittle
And if you make these, or any of my recipes, don’t forget to tag me @bastecutfold or use the hashtag #bastecutfold on Instagram. I always love to see what you’re making!
Peanut Clusters with Chocolate and Sea Salt
- Total Time: 30-40 minutes (including tempering time)
- Yield: 20 - 22 1 1/4-inch / 3-centimeter clusters 1x
Description
Sweet and simple peanut clusters! Crunchy peanuts, drizzled in dark chocolate and sprinkled with just a touch of sea salt.
Ingredients
Peanut Clusters:
105 grams granulated sugar (1/2 cup)
35 grams light corn syrup, or liquid glucose (2 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons water
15 grams unsalted butter, softened (1 tablespoon)
130 grams roasted peanuts (1 cup)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
Decoration:
Good-quality dark chocolate couverture
Coarse sea salt, for sprinkling
Instructions
Line a tray with a silicone baking mat or a sheet of parchment, and set aside until ready to use.
In a large saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup, and water. Without stirring, cook over medium-high heat until a golden caramel color is reached (your mixture should resemble honey).
Add softened butter and allow it to melt.
Add vanilla bean paste and roasted peanuts and cook for one minute, stirring gently.
Working quickly, drop peanut mixture by the spoonful onto prepared tray. Set aside and allow to cool completely.
While peanut clusters are cooling, temper your dark chocolate. (See my notes above). Transfer to a piping bag and drizzle chocolate over each cluster, followed by a generous sprinkling of sea salt.
Allow chocolate to set fully before transferring peanut clusters to an airtight container. Store at room temperature for up to one month.
- Category: Chocolate
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Sweets
