Fruit and Nut Chocolate Chunks

A healthy and tasty treat

I have made these chunky nut and chocolate bars for years.  They are easy to make, no cooking is required, and since they make a healthy snack, they are not just for Christmas.  They look great on the cookie platter and make a nice gift. This is also a fun project to do with children.  Everybody loves to lick the bowl at the end.  Choose whatever is your favorite nuts and dried fruit to put into these crunchy chunks.  Last year, I added pistachio nuts, raisins, dried cranberries and candied orange peel.  For my latest batch, I used mixed nuts, dried figs, raisins, and crystallized ginger.  The sky is the limit.  I always roast the nuts unless I use pistachios.

Put the things you love into these chocolate bars.

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Ingredients

1 ¼ lb. good-quality chocolate (I use bittersweet)
1 cup dried fruit (cranberries, cherries, raisins, figs or apricots)
1 cup mixed nuts 
(cashews, walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts or pistachios)
1 TBS candied ginger or orange peel
a pinch sea salt ​

Directions

Line bottom and sides of a 9 x 11 baking dish with foil or parchment paper leaving several inches of overhang. 
Spray with oil.
Roast the nuts at 350 degrees for about 8 minutes. 
Roughly chop chocolate and place on top of a double boiler (or set a metal bowl over a saucepan) of barely simmering water,  stirring occasionally until smooth.
Coarsely chop the nuts and dried fruit, and dice the ginger.  
Remove chocolate from heat and stir in fruit, nuts, ginger and the pinch of salt. 
Spread the mixture out in an even layer. 
Let it cool down and set in the refrigerator for about an hour or overnight . 
Lift candy in foil from pan (using overhanging foil) and transfer it to a cutting board. Peel off the foil and cut candy with a heavy knife into small pieces. The candy keeps wrapped in foil or  in a closed container for two weeks or longer. 

Guten Appetit!
©sunnycovechef
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May your holidays be peaceful and filled with love and good food
Fröhliche Weihnachten
Gerlinde