A Homemade Holiday

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Homemade Chocolates

This idea for tin-packing is easy enough for kids to make. Once again, you'll need to collect tins and have some colored plastic wrap on hand. Look for paper candy cups in your supermarket.

Almond Clusters

8 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (I used two 4-ounce Ghirardelli bars.) 2/3 cup whole unsalted roasted almonds (not raw almonds)

Line a large cookie sheet with waxed paper. Put an inch of water in the bottom of a double boiler or put 1/2-inch water in a skillet and a saucepan in the center. Break the chocolate into one-inch pieces and put in the pan. Over medium heat, stir the chocolate until it melts completely. Stir in the almonds and remove from heat, leaving the chocolate in the double boiler so it won't harden.

Spoon blobs onto the wax paper so they're about one inch in diameter. Refrigerate 30 minutes until hard. Peel the clusters off the waxed paper and put into candy cups or a plastic-wrap lined tin. Refrigerate or keep in a cool place for up to one month. Serve at room temperature. I've also accidentally frozen them on the back porch and it didn't hurt them a bit.

Variation: If you don't care for almonds, try pecans, pistachios, peanuts, or dried fruit such as golden raisins or cherries.

Espresso Clusters

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate 1/2 cup fresh roasted espresso beans, slightly crushed

On a piece of plastic wrap, slightly crush the espresso beans with a meat mallet or rolling pin. Then follow the directions for the almond clusters above.

Note: Good quality, fresh beans will make a difference; I used Starbuck's. But be warned: too much sampling may keep you up nights, so warn your consumers to go easy. These are definitely not for children. And yes, it's OK to use decaf beans.

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