Chocolate Cornflake Clusters
Crispness is all-important in these simple candies, so be sure to start with a fresh box of cornflakes.Plus: More Dessert Recipes and Tips
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Recipe Summary
Ingredients
Directions
Make Ahead
The clusters can be stored in an airtight container at cool room temperature for up to 2 weeks, if you can resist eating them.
Notes
Tempering Tips Tempering melted chocolate ensures that it will set up firmly with a glossy sheen. Any leftover chocolate can be tempered again later.
1. Chop 1 pound of room temperature chocolate into 1/2–inch pieces.
2. Put 2/3 of the chocolate in a glass bowl. Microwave at medium–high power for 30–second periods, stirring with a rubber spatula in the intervals, until 3/4 of the chocolate is melted, about 1 1/2 minutes.
3. Stir the chocolate until completely melted, then scrape it into a clean, dry, room temperature bowl. Measure the temperature of the chocolate with an instant–read thermometer; it should be between 100 and 115 degrees. Add the remaining chocolate in large handfuls, stirring constantly until the chocolate is at 88 degrees. If the chocolate becomes too cool, melt a few more tablespoons of chopped chocolate and stir them in to raise the temperature.
4. Dip the tip of a knife in the chocolate; the chocolate on the knife should begin to set within 1 minute. Use at once.
Suggested Pairing
When matching chocolate with wine, it is essential for the wine to be sweeter than the chocolate. The rich, fruity sweetness of a late-bottled vintage port makes it the perfect partner for the bittersweet chocolate used in all the recipes here. For the record, Jacques Torres likes a good dry red Bordeaux with all of his chocolate confections.