I can’t claim to be the first to have mingled chocolate with dried fruit and something nutty, but I do think these simple treats are particularly good. Broken into rough chunks and shards, they make lovely petits fours and great little gifts.
Chocolate, peanuts, raisins
200g best-quality milk chocolate
50g salted peanuts, very roughly chopped
50g raisins
Line a baking tray with baking parchment or silicone paper. Break the chocolate into pieces and put into a heatproof bowl. Place inside a larger bowl containing some just-boiled water (or over a pan of simmering water if you prefer). Leave, stirring from time to time, until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly.
Stir about one-third of the peanuts and raisins into the chocolate. Carefully pour the melted chocolate on to the lined tray, then use a palette knife to spread it fairly thinly – aim to get it to roughly the area of a piece of A4 paper. Scatter the remaining peanuts and raisins all over the top of the chocolate (quickly, before it sets). Leave to set in the fridge, then carefully remove from the paper and break into shards with your hands or a knife.
White chocolate, poppy seeds, cranberries
200g white chocolate
4 teaspoons poppy seeds
75g dried cranberries
Line a baking tray with baking parchment or silicone paper. Melt the chocolate (as above) and leave to cool slightly. Proceed as above, stirring about one-third of the poppy seeds and dried cranberries into the chocolate first, then spreading the chocolate thinly on to the lined tray, and scattering over the remaining seeds and cranberries. Leave to set in the fridge, then carefully remove from the paper and break into shards.
Dark chocolate, apricot, coconut
200g dark chocolate
50g fresh or toasted, dried coconut flesh, finely sliced
50g dried apricots, roughly chopped
Line a baking tray with baking parchment or silicone paper. Melt the chocolate (as above) and leave to cool slightly. Proceed as above, stirring about one-third of the coconut and dried apricots into the chocolate first, then spreading the chocolate thinly on to the lined tray, and scattering over the remaining coconut and apricots. Leave to set in the fridge, then carefully remove from the paper and break into shards.