Chocolate Nut Buttons Recipes

CHOCOLATE MIXED NUT CLUSTERS

Steps:

• Make a double boiler for melting the chocolate by taking a saucepan and bringing 2 quarts of water to a boil, reduce to a simmer. Place a glass bowl of the same size or slightly smaller inside the simmering water. No water should be in the bowl- it just sits on top of the boiling water.
• Place the milk chocolate chips and the baking chocolate inside the waterless pot and stir until melted.Add in the 2 cups of mixed nuts and stir until completely coated.
• NOTE: If your stove has a "Melt" setting- skip the double broiler and just add chocolate to a medium sized saucepan instead. (NO WATER NEEDED!)
• Scoop the chocolate nut mixture using medium sized spoons onto parchment lined cookie sheets. Place the cookie sheets inside of your fridge until the chocolate has set. Enjoy!
• Place all of the chocolate in a medium sized glass or ceramic bowl. Microwave on high for 1 minute 30 seconds. Let sit 3-4 minutes, in the microwave. Stir gently. Add time in 30 second intervals, letting chocolate sit for 2-3 minutes after each warming segment before stirring. Once chocolate is completely melted, add in the 2 cups of mixed nuts and stir until completely coated.Scoop the chocolate nut mixture using medium sized spoons onto parchment lined cookie sheets.Place the cookie sheets inside of your fridge until the chocolate has set. Enjoy!
• Once chocolate is completely melted, add in the 2 cups of mixed nuts and stir until completely coated.
• Scoop the chocolate nut mixture using medium sized spoons onto parchment lined cookie sheets.Place the cookie sheets inside of your fridge until the chocolate has set. Enjoy!

SUPER CHOCOLATEY BUTTONS

Steps:

• Position racks in the lower and upper third of the oven. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats. (If you don't have 3 pans, simply cool the pan between batches.)
• Put the butter, unsweetened chocolate and 4 ounces semisweet chocolate in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Heat at 75 percent power in the microwave until soft, about 2 minutes. Stir and heat again until melted, up to 2 minutes more. (Alternatively, put the chocolates and butter in a heatproof bowl. Bring a saucepan filled with an inch or so of water to a very slow simmer; set the bowl over, but not touching the water, and stir occasionally until melted and smooth.)
• Stir the granulated and light brown sugars and vanilla into the chocolate mixture with a wooden spoon. Add the eggs and buttermilk and beat vigorously until thick and glossy.
• Whisk together the flour, 1/2 cup cocoa and the salt in another bowl. Add them to the egg mixture and stir until just mixed. Stir in the remaining chip-size semisweet chocolate. Cover and refrigerate the dough until firm enough to scoop, about 1 hour.
• Roll the dough into scant 1 tablespoon (about 3/4 inch) balls and place 1 inch apart on the baking sheets. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Put the remaining 1/2 cup cocoa powder and the confectioners' sugar in two separate bowls for rolling. Roll the dough balls in the confectioners' sugar, then in the cocoa powder and place on the baking sheets. Bake until the cookies set but are soft and fudgy on the inside, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, and then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

CHOCOLATE NUT BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, beat butter until fluffy. Add the flour, sugar and salt; beat just until crumbly. Set aside 1 cup for topping. Press remaining crumb mixture into a greased 13x9-in. baking pan. Bake 10-12 minutes or until set and edges begin to brown., Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine milk and 1-1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips. Cook and stir until chips are melted. Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla. Spread mixture over crust., Combine the nuts and milk chocolate chips with the remaining semisweet chocolate chips and crumb mixture. Sprinkle over filling. Bake 15-20 minutes or until center is set. Cool on a wire rack. Cut into bars.

BROWN-BETTY BUTTONS

Steps:

• Melt 2 sticks butter over medium heat until browned, then cool. Make Classic Sugar Cookies with the browned butter in place of the 2 sticks butter and use just 1 egg yolk and 3/4 cup granulated sugar total (omit confectioners'). Scoop into tiny balls and bake 10 to 12 minutes at 325 degrees. Cool, then sandwich with raspberry jam and dust with confectioners' sugar.

CHOCOLATE-COCONUT BARS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cut a piece of foil 9- by 23-inches. Butter the corners and sides of a 9- by 9-inch baking pan. Line the pan with the foil, leaving an overhang on two sides. Fold the overhanging foil to make them doubly thick. (This will make it easier to lift the bar out of the pan.)
• For the topping: Whisk the coconut cream with the egg white and vanilla in a medium bowl. Toss the shredded coconut with the flour in another medium bowl. Stir the shredded coconut mixture into the coconut cream mixture. Set aside.
• For the base: Whisk the flour with the cocoa powder and salt in a small bowl. Put the cookie dough on a clean work surface and dump the flour mixture on top. Knead the flour mixture and dough together until it is dark and homogenous. Sprinkle a little extra flour on the work surface, and use a rolling pin to gently press and roll the dough into a 7- or 8-inch square; don't worry if it cracks a bit. Put the dough in the prepared pan, using your fingers to press it evenly into the sides and corners.
• Scatter the coconut topping evenly over the base, making sure you cover the edges well and being sure not to press down so that the coconut mixture lies on top of the dough. Scatter the chocolate on top and press it lightly into the coconut. Bake until the coconut is a toasted golden brown, the topping seems dry and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool completely on a rack before gently lifting out of the pan by the overhanging foil, about 20 minutes. Slice into 16 square bars.

REALLY ENORMOUS CHOCOLATE BUTTONS

Steps:

• Ask a grown-up to tear off some big sheets of baking parchment. Draw around a glass or saucer with a pencil to make big button shapes. Turn the paper over.
• Spoon a blob of chocolate into the middle of each circle and use a paint brush to spread it to the edges of the circle. Don't worry if it isn't neat.
• Decorate each button with sprinkles, sweets or blobs of other coloured chocolate.
• Leave the buttons to cool and set really hard, in the fridge if the room is hot. Once they are hard, peel them off the paper carefully and wrap up or eat.