Sep 24, 2010

Chocolate Almond Cherry Crisps


Sometimes, you just want chocolate. But you don’t want to turn on the oven. You don’t want to crack eggs. You don’t want to sift flour...and cocoa...and sugar. And you certainly don't want to tie on an apron and waste away the afternoon in a hot, sweaty kitchen, only to be left with a mountain of batter-dripping dishes and endless minutes of painstaking waiting. You just. Want. Chocolate. 


And the days you really need chocolate are most likely the days you lack the ambition to decorate 24 darling little cupcakes, perfectly frost a three-tiered masterpiece or do anything with a knife other than take out your aggregation.

But with cooking and baking out the door, there really aren't many options, unless you're willing to settle for an over priced, preservative-packed candy bar (guilty) or a handful of chocolate chips straight from the bag (guilty).

Ahh...but have we forgotten about the microwave and its magical powers to, in just minutes, turn ordinary chocolate chips into hot, swirly bowls of melty chocolate that can be quickly molded into just about anything our cocoa-craving hearts desire? It's true!

These surprisingly low-cal, delicious little candies are basically a grown-up version of chocolate-covered Rice Krispies treats. (And by grown-up, I really just mean more chocolate and less cereal.) Or maybe more like a crunch bar on steroids. Either way, sweet-tart dried cherries, slivered almonds and vanilla pair perfectly with white and dark chocolate and the airy crunch of Rice Krispies. Delicious!


For your own little candy bars at a moment's notice, just melt a little chocolate, stir in the rest of the ingredients, shape, and throw into the fridge to chill...for an hour.  

Seems there is a little waiting in this recipe. But well worth it, I assure you. And hey, there's always that chocolate-covered bowl and spoon to "clean up" while you wait. After all, sometimes, you just. Want. Chocolate.



Chocolate Almond Cherry Crisps
Laura Zapalowski, Cooking Light, DECEMBER 2007
Yield: 36 servings (serving size: 1 crisp)

Note: Prepare up to two days in advance, and store in the refrigerator in an airtight container. You can also experiment with different types of chocolate, nuts and dried fruit.

Ingredients:
1  cup  semisweet chocolate chips
3/4  cup  white chocolate chips
1 1/2  cups  oven-toasted rice cereal (such as Rice Krispies)
3/4  cup  dried cherries
1/3  cup  slivered almonds
1/2  teaspoon  vanilla

Preparation:
Cover a large baking sheet with wax paper.

Place semisweet and white chocolate chips in a medium glass bowl; microwave at HIGH 45 seconds. Stir, and microwave an additional 45 seconds or until almost melted. Stir until smooth. Add cereal and remaining ingredients; stir quickly to combine. Drop mixture by tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheet; chill 1 hour or until firm.

Nutritional Information: Calories: 68 (44% from fat), Fat: 3.3g (sat 2g,mono 0.8g,poly 0.2g), Protein: 0.6g, Carbohydrate: 9.7g, Fiber: 0.7g, Cholesterol: 0.0mg, Iron: 0.3mg, Sodium: 6mg, Calcium: 7mg
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22 comments:

Melissa said...

Oh, my goodness I am SO trying this out! I like the fact that you can have your chocolate fix, but you don't have to feel so bad because you're adding healthy ingredients like dried fruit and nuts. You always pick out some really good recipes. Thanks for sharing! :)

becisvintage said...

Now your talking. Can't wait to make and hide these.

Anonymous said...

O.M.G. Trying TONIGHT. I'll get over leaving the almonds out... :)

Lindsey said...

I love your blog! This recipe looks wonderful--and I'm on a chocolate/cherry kick right now, so that's perfect! Anxiously awaiting your next post already...

Christina said...

Ohmygoodness these look so good and low calorie too! I MUST make these ASAP.

LBDDiaries said...

Yum yum yum yum yum! And here I am without a microwave! BUT I do have a double boiler and know how to use it - whoo hoo. I will be making this over the weekend - thank you for the grownup version - it is way yummier looking!

Charlene said...

Any chance you make some of the recipes and ship them out? Yum!!! The photos definitely do the food justice - I can almost smell the chocolate from here! :-)

Anonymous said...

I can't get to the grocery store tonight but I am making these tomorrow for certain! I love chocolate almond combination of flavors and I might try using almond extract - hmmmm - with the cherries - oh I can't wait!

Anonymous said...

Dried cherries would make these absolutely fabulous! I've had ones with just chocolate and yes, they are wonderful, but chocolate cherry is even better.

Tina L. Hook said...

Hello Pie! What a great little pick-me-up. If only I had rice krispies on hand. Adding this to the grocery list.

Unknown said...

I'm supposed to be giving up chocolate this week, and now I've seen your blog! Mercy!

Thanks for stopping by during my SITS Day

LisaDay said...

I want this. NOW.

LisaDay

Christina said...

I made these last night and they were so good! I used bittersweet chocolate instead of white b/c I am a big fan of dark chocolate. I must have been quite liberal with each tablespoon b/c I came out with 24 instead of 32. Even so, it worked out to just 2 weight watchers points a piece!

Kristi @Creative Kristi said...

Oh my goodness! These look delicious! Stopping by from SITS!!!

Rachel said...

Glad you liked them, Christina! I bet dark chocolate would be great. I'll have to try that next time. I made mine a little larger than the recipe called for, too. No problem there in my book! =)

Karen M. Peterson said...

Those look amazing! I'm going to have to try them. We're having a girls' night in tonight. Might be a good chance to give them a shot...

Visiting from SITS. Happy Saturday!

Christine Wang said...

holy moly.

Alicia said...

ok this blog is soo yummy I had to follow via google friend.. It's soo nice to meet you I'm a part of our healthy living blog group. What a wonderful blog.... So nice to meet you....

CLV said...

posts like this make dieting nearly impossible.

Joanna said...

Those look FANTASTIC! You are right, there are a ton of days when I want chocolate and do not want to turn on the oven. Or make a huge batch of something. This recipe seems like a good candidate to make in a smaller batch. Thanks for sharing! :-)

Jamee @ A New Kind of Normal said...

Those look absolutely delicious! Why oh why do I have to be allergic to almonds?! Thank you for visiting my blog & making my SITS day special!

Ingrid_3Bs said...

Just wanted to pop in and say hi! Hope all is well.

Time to post something new. :)
~ingrid

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