One of my Christmas traditions is making candy to give as gifts. My homemade peanut butter cups and English toffee have had an impressive following for more than 15 years. But every so often, I expand my horizons and make something new. This is one of those times.
Today, ‘mocha’ is known to be a combination of chocolate and coffee. Once upon a time, ‘mocha’ referred to a type of coffee bean that had chocolatey undertones. This bean (now known as Arabica) originated in the Yemen area and was distributed through the port city of Mocha. For a time, the bean went by the name of its port city. It was popular throughout Europe, where it was combined with chocolate into a drink called bicerin, after the cafe that popularized the mixture in Turin, Italy. When Americans adopted the chocolate and coffee combination, they reverted to calling the concoction mocha. Currently, any merging of coffee and chocolate flavors is currently labeled mocha in these parts.
While I am not a coffee drinker, I am a huge fan of most anything chocolate, so much so that I was willing to try out a mocha nut recipe. The taste of chocolate comes through quite nicely and there’s a hint of coffee overlaying the toasted almond flavor. Chocolate and coffee, often considered the two of the best things on planet Earth, make a perfect holiday snack, too!
Chocolate Mocha Almonds
Mocha Almonds (adapted from tasteofhome.com) Total Time Required: 1 hour, Prep Time: 45 minutes, Bake Time: 12 minutes
Makes: 4 cups
Ingredients:
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips
- 2 cups whole almonds
- 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 3 tablespoons baking cocoa
- 4-1/2 teaspoons instant coffee powder
Directions:
Spread the almonds out on a baking sheet. Place the sheet in a cold oven. Set the oven temperature to 350ºF and toast the almonds for 12 minutes, shaking the pan halfway through to prevent burning. Allow the almonds to cool.
Toast the almonds.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the confectioners’ sugar with the cocoa powder and the instant coffee powder, mixing until the coating is homogenous.
Combine the confectioners’ sugar with the cocoa and instant coffee.
In another medium bowl, microwave the chocolate chips, covered, at 50% power, stirring once or twice, until they are all melted, about 3-4 minutes. Stir until the chocolate is smooth. Add the toasted almonds to the chocolate and stir until they are all fully coated.
Coat the toasted almonds in the melted chocolate.
Transfer the almonds to the sugar mixture, tossing them to coat them evenly.
Coat the almonds with the sugar mixture.
Spread the coated almonds on waxed paper and allow them to sit for 1 hour or until the chocolate is completely dried and hardened.
Spread the almonds on waxed paper.
Store the coated nuts in an airtight container at room temperature.
Enjoy!
These Mocha Almonds will disappear fast this holiday season! ~Linda
Mocha Almonds (adapted from tasteofhome.com) Total Time Required: 1 hour, Prep Time: 45 minutes, Bake Time: 12 minutes, Makes: 4 cups
Ingredients:
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips
- 2 cups whole almonds
- 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 3 tablespoons baking cocoa
- 4-1/2 teaspoons instant coffee powder
Directions:
Spread the almonds out on a baking sheet. Place the sheet in a cold oven. Set the oven temperature to 350ºF and toast the almonds for 12 minutes, shaking the pan halfway through to prevent burning. Allow the almonds to cool.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the confectioners’ sugar with the cocoa powder and the instant coffee powder, mixing until the coating is homogenous.
In another medium bowl, microwave the chocolate chips, covered, at 50% power, stirring once or twice, until they are all melted, about 3-4 minutes. Stir until the chocolate is smooth. Add the toasted almonds to the chocolate and stir until they are all fully coated.
Transfer the almonds to the sugar mixture, tossing them to coat them evenly. Spread the coated almonds on waxed paper and allow them to sit for 1 hour or until the chocolate is completely dried and hardened. Store the coated nuts in an airtight container at room temperature.