Crunchy Chocolate Clusters (Schokocrossies)

These crunchy chocolate clusters called Schokocrossies bring up a sort of nostalgia in me as I used to eat them ALL THE TIME growing up in Germany. They're extremely simple to make, only using 3 ingredients and let me warn you that they are addictive!

Schokocrossies bring up pure nostalgia in me. They're one of my favorite German chocolate candies growing up, perfect as an afternoon snack with a cup of coffee or hot chocolate (yes, more chocolate!).

In Germany you can buy them prepackaged and ready to eat, here you have to follow a few simple steps first before you get to enjoy them. Lucky for you, these crunchy chocolate clusters are extremely easy to make at home, and only use three ingredients. I chose fair trade chocolate, organic cornflakes and non-GMO almond slivers for my Schokocrossies.

I also used milk, dark and white chocolate for mine, but the classic version only uses milk chocolate. Any kid would be very happy to help you with these and get their hands (and your furniture) covered in chocolate.

Ingredients

• 7 oz (200 g) good quality chocolate
• 2 oz (60 g) cornflakes
• 2 oz (60 g) slivered almonds

How to make them

1. Create a waterbath by filling a small pot with a little bit of water and inserting a well-fitting steel bowl with your chocolate. Bring the water to a simmer and gradually melt the chocolate until smooth. Alternatively, see my tips above for microwave instructions.
2. Dry roast the slivered almonds in a pan until starting to brown. Remove and combine with the cornflakes in a large bowl.
3. Add in the melted chocolate and stir until all the cornflakes are covered.
4. Using 2 spoons, place small chocolate clusters on a baking sheet prepped with parchment paper and allow to cool for 3 hours at room temperature or until set. If you don't have that much time, visit my Helpful Tips section.

Tips

• Get Creative: The classic Schokocrossies use milk chocolate, but I wanted more variety, so I ended up doubling the recipe and used ⅓ of each milk, white and dark chocolate instead. Feel free to also substitute the slivered almonds for chopped up peanuts or cashews, whichever you feel like or may have on hand.
• Melt Chocolate In Microwave: Heat the chocolate in the microwave instead of a Bain-Marie. you can gradually melt the chocolate in the microwave, making sure to work with a microwave-safe container and heating for no longer than 60 seconds at a time, stirring in chocolate in between. If you overheat it, it can burn and become hard (a very sad picture).
• Let Set Up In Freezer: Don't want to wait around for your Schokocrossies to air dry or have impatient kiddos waiting around? Then pop them in the freezer for about 15 minutes or so and enjoy.
• Storing: Store in reusable silicone bags (I like to keep mine in the fridge) and enjoy within 2 weeks.