There is a place at the Jersey Shore (not that Jersey Shore) that sells the most amazing chocolates. Every summer I look forward to a few trips for chocolate clusters filled with high quality fillings like caramel, nuts and marshmallows. On a good day, my grandfather will leave a box of them out in the kitchen with a knife. (Calories don’t count when you cut off a little piece each time you walk by) Without a doubt, by the end of the day, the box would be empty.
Jagielky’s has an incredible variety of chocolates with unique items like Double Dip Mints, essentially peppermint patties dipped in ANOTHER layer of chocolate – milk on dark or dark on milk. A couple of summers ago they started selling chocolate covered blueberries. These were large clusters of blueberries coated with a wonderful rich dark chocolate. It is heaven biting into the creamy dark chocolate and then having a huge blueberry burst in your mouth. Unfortunately, the chocolate covered blueberries are so popular that they are often sold out by the afternoon.
A few times I considered making my own but didn’t get around to it until now. And rather than stick with just the basic chocolate and blueberry mix, I added pretzel pieces to mine. These Blueberry Pretzel Clusters have a wonderful balance of sweet and salty flavors in addition to the contrast in textures from the crunchy pretzels, the juicy berries and the creamy chocolate. With the right dark chocolate, you can create a rich high quality candy.
Put these clusters out for your friends but make a secret stash for yourself because you will crave them once they disappear. Just be sure to refrigerate the chocolates so that the berries don’t spoil.
Start with some of your favorite dark chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl (I used Trader Joe’s 72%)
Gently melt the chocolate in 30 second increments, stirring in-between; once chocolate is completely melted, add blueberries and pretzel pieces
Stir to coat berries and pretzels completely
Use a tablespoon to drop large clusters of the mix on a baking sheet lined with wax paper
Chill chocolates in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or until candy is completely firm
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Blueberry Pretzel Clusters
Makes 14 clusters
Ingredients:
- 9 ounces high-quality dark chocolate
- 3/4 cup salted pretzel pieces
- 1 1/4 cup fresh blueberries, rinsed and dried
Instructions
- Gently melt the chocolate in 30 second increments in a microwave-safe bowl, stirring in-between
- Once chocolate is completely melted, add blueberries and pretzel pieces and stir until completely coated
- Use a tablespoon to drop large clusters of the mix on a baking sheet lined with wax paper
- Chill chocolates in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or until candy is completely firm
Notes:
Store chocolates in refrigerator for up to 3 days[/print_this]
What is your favorite chocolate candy?
WOW! I am officially in love with your recipe list!! I think this is my favorite though…simple and to the point. Thank You for posting :)
Thanks, Macy! These are really easy and so delicious.