Chocolate Peanut Clusters

Chocolate peanut clusters are one of the easiest and tastiest candy confections to make.

Recipe Ingredients:

1 (12-ounce) package milk or bittersweet dark chocolate, finely chopped
3 cups chopped roasted salted peanuts

Cooking Directions:

1. Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler over hot water; set aside briefly.
2. Replace the water in the bottom pan with lukewarm tap water, set the pan of chocolate on top of this, and stir gently to reduce the temperature of the chocolate, about 10 to 15 minutes. It will begin to get a bit thicker as it cools. Again remove the top pan of chocolate from the water and replace the water in the bottom pan with tap water that is a few degrees warmer than the chocolate. Set the pan of chocolate over the bottom pan with warm water. Stir the peanuts into the chocolate, making sure to thoroughly coat them with chocolate.
3. Line a baking sheet with parchment or waxed paper. Spoon out clusters 1-inch in diameter onto the sheet, leaving 1-inch of space between them. Let the clusters firm up at room temperature or chill them in the refrigerator for 15 minutes, then place them in paper candy cups.

Makes 5 dozen.