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^[2]This month I’ve been experimenting with chocolate-covered macadamia nuts. I made three different versions: Easy, Delicious, and Addictive! Plus, some heart-shaped ones for Valentine’s Day. Let me start with the easy recipe:

Easy Chocolate-Covered Macadamia Nuts

Ingredients:

Whole Raw Macadamia Nuts
Dark Cocoa Candy Melts ^[3]

You’ll also need a Truffles Candy Mold ^[4].

Directions:

1. ^[5]Melt chocolate candy melts in the microwave. Start by melting at half power for about two minutes. Then, put in for another minute at a time to finish melting.
2. Fill about a third of each candy truffle mold with the melted chocolate. Push a nut into the melted chocolate in the mold. Then, finish filling the candy mold with more melted chocolate. Tap the mold on the counter to release any air bubbles.
3. Place the mold in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Then, pull it out of the refrigerator, turn it upside down and pop the candies out.

Additional Notes:

• The candy melts are so easy to work with, and they make very pretty, shiny candies. However, it isn’t as tasty as using good chocolate. (That doesn’t mean they didn’t disappear as quickly as I made them.)
• For melting the candy melt discs, I used a plastic squeeze bottle ^[6].  It made it easy to melt the candy  and fill the candy mold. You can keep the bottle in a bowl of warm water to keep the chocolate warm while you’re filling the candy molds with nuts. Or, just pop it back into the microwave for a minute or two, if necessary.
• You can, of course, melt the chocolate on the stove with a double boiler. Just be careful not to get any water into the chocolate, as it can make the chocolate seize.

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Delicious Chocolate-Covered Macadamia Nuts

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For an even better tasting candy, instead of raw macadamia nuts, I used Elana’s recipe for candied macadamia nuts ^[8] at Elana’s Pantry. It’s a pretty quick and easy recipe, and is a very tasty treat by itself. But, the sweetness of the agave nectar combined with the salt, and then roasted in the oven gives this chocolate candy another tasty layer which is delicious!

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Best Tasting, Addictive Chocolate-Covered Macadamia Nuts

For the best tasting chocolate covered macadamia nuts, use the candied macadamia nuts and use real dark chocolate! Using real chocolate just makes these even better. In order to get the best looking results, too, you’ll have to temper your chocolate. I’m still trying to perfect the tempering process, but even if it doesn’t work for you it will be delicious! It just may not be as pretty. Un-tempered chocolate also has a tendency to bloom at room temperature. So, if you don’t temper your chocolate, eat them right away or store in the refrigerator.

Valentine’s Day Treats
^{[9] [10] [11]}So, for Valentine’s Day, I made some of these with heart-shaped molds. I couldn’t find any candy molds that were deep enough to accommodate the macadamia nuts, so I used these silicone gelatin/ice cube molds ^[12] I found at the dollar store.

Related Links:

• Elana’s Pantry Candied Macadamia Nuts ^[8] recipe and directions.
• Diane made Chocolate Macadamia Nuts without using candy molds at The W.H.O.L.E. Gang ^[13].
• Detailed directions of Tempering Chocolate is at Cooking For Engineers ^[14].
• The Giver’s Log has great tips for buying chocolate ^[15] and melting and tempering chocolate ^[16].
• For more gluten-free recipes, visit The Gluten-Free Homemaker for What Can I Eat That’s Gluten Free? ^[17]