Valentine’s Day is coming up.
If you are one of those people who waits for the last second, makes a mad dash to the drug store, picks up a box of whatever chocolates they still have on hand and pays $25 for a few sad looking red rose stems, then this post may not be for you.
Chocolates for Valentine’s Day is a classic, and for good reason. I mean, who doesn’t love chocolates? But wouldn’t it be so much nicer to make your loved one something from your own kitchen, with your own hands, that you can pour some extra love into?
To be very honest with you, when I read articles from candy makers about making chocolates, I want to run the other way. They talk about “tempering chocolate” and having thermometers, and being so careful and controlled. It is just not the way I cook.
This recipe for Cherry Pistachio Chocolates is easy and delicious. And I think they convey the concept of taking the time and effort to create something special for the ones you love. The fact that they take very little time and effort doesn’t really need to be brought up!
I used natural dark maraschinos and roasted salted pistachios in this recipe and used semi-sweet chocolate chips. You could use dark chocolate if you prefer. These would be easier to remove from the pan if you have a silicon muffin pan but I just used a regular old metal one and they came out fine – I did have to place a warm towel on the bottom of the pan for just a few seconds.
Gluten Free Cherry Pistachio Chocolates Recipe
Ingredients
1 cup roasted, salted pistachios, shelled and chopped
24 natural maraschino cherries, stemmed, dried, and cut into quarters
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
Sea salt
Directions
Divide the nuts evenly among the tins of a 12 cup standard muffin pan. Add 8 pieces of cherries to each.
Place the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high power for 30 seconds. Stir and repeat the process until most of the chips have melted. Stir until the chocolate is very smooth and glossy. Spoon the chocolate over the nuts and cherries (about 1½ tablespoons per cup), shake the pan a few time gently to help the chocolate work its way through the nuts and cherries. Sprinkle the tops with a tiny pinch of sea salt and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
Remove the chocolates from the pan and package them any way you desire. Will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Servings:
A gluten free recipe that makes 12 candies.
Ready for dessert?
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Need a quick meal?
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