EASY MICROWAVE CANDY
This is the easiest candy I have ever made and better yet, my picky Hubby gives it two thumbs up It is fast to make in the microwave and is pretty enough for Christmas gift giving.
This is the easiest candy I have ever made and better yet, my picky Hubby gives it two thumbs up It is fast to make in the microwave and is pretty enough for Christmas gift giving.
- Carbohydrate 0 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0 g
- Fiber 0 g
- Protein 0 g
- Saturated Fat 0 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Recipe (1021g)
- Sodium 0 mg
- Sugar 0 g
- Trans Fat 0 g
- Calories 0 calories
Step-by-step
- Put the chocolate chips in a large, microwave safe glass bowl and microwave for two minutes at 60% power (imperative that you stir every 30 seconds). My microwave took about 2 minutes and 10 seconds.
- Stir until all of the chocolate is smooth, then stir in 3 cups of your favorite whole nuts. I ended up adding five cups of whole mixed nuts and I'm fairly certain I could have added one more cup. This makes a LOT of candy!!
- The recipe calls for spooning candies onto waxed paper, but I spooned mine into mini-cupcake size paper liners. Put them in the fridge to "set" for about 15 minutes and they are ready to serve.
- NOTE: The candy will only be as good as the chocolate you use. I usedGhirardelli chocolate chips. (Note: You do not taste the white chocolate when they are all melted together (I don't like white chocolate), but the blend of the 3 chocolates is delicious.
- NOTE: I used a mixture of whole roasted nuts (cashews, almonds, peanuts, pecans, Brazil nuts and hazelnuts...delicious.
- NOTE: Don't be tempted to use all one kind of chocolate. For some (unknown to me) reason, the blend of white chocolate, semi-sweet and milk chocolate produces the BEST chocolate taste EVER!!
High-quality chocolate chips contain a high percentage of cocoa butter rather than palm oil substitutes, which dictates how they respond to thermal energy and determines whether the finished confection sets with a glossy snap or remains dull and soft. Confectionery history shows that blending white, semi-sweet, and milk varieties creates a balanced flavor profile that tempers the aggressive sweetness of pure white chocolate while softening the bitter edge of dark chocolate.
Melting chocolate in a microwave requires precise power modulation and constant agitation to prevent localized overheating. Operating the appliance at 60% power restricts the electromagnetic energy delivered to the sugar and fat crystals, while removing and stirring the bowl every 30 seconds redistributes thermal heat evenly throughout the mass. Dropping the temperature too high causes the cocoa solids to seize into a grainy, unusable paste.
Portioning the warm mixture into mini-cupcake paper liners provides structural containment that keeps the high volume of nuts securely bound as the lipids solidify. Chilling the portions in the refrigerator for exactly 15 minutes accelerates the crystal formation of the fats, resulting in a firm, easily handled candy.
