Chocolate treats...

As kids and even now - me and my sister love the "Cadbury Dairy Milk" Chocolates, especially the fruit and nut variety. I couldnt stop myself from buying this chocolate from an Indian store here in the US - only to notice the bad quality - I dont want to go into details-its too bad. So whenever I crave for chocolates, I buy the bars at whole foods or the GHIRADELLI variety and mold it as I want. Generally I mix the chocolate with all things I like - nuts, dry fruits etc. The recipe shown here tastes very much like the fruit and nut cadbury - its so very easy to make as well.

Ingredients (makes about 15 chunks):
1. 1/2 cup roasted almonds - chopped coarsely
2. 1/2 cup roasted hazelnuts - chopped coarsely
3. 1/2 cup rice crispies (kellogs or other variety you like)
4. 1/4 cup dried bing cherries finely chopped
5. 1 tbsp of unsweetened coconut flakes
Sixth and the main ingredients - 1 cup semisweet + 1 cup white chocolate chips (GHIRADELLI). This mix has the taste closest to the cadbury dairy milk.

1-5 Ingredients are available in cake section of the grocery store. Be sure to buy good quality nuts - it definetly makes a lot of difference to the flavor.

- Combine ingredients 1 to 5 in a bowl before melting the chocolate.
- Combine the white and semisweet chocolate chips in a bowl and heat in microwave at medium power for 30 seconds. Mix the chocolate and heat for 30 seconds again. The chocolate should be smooth by now - else heat in 15 second increments.
- Have to be quick in this step else the chocolate will start to harden. Combine the nuts and all your favourite things to the chocolate mix. and spoon them onto a plate or aluminium/baking sheet to cool down for 1 hour or so to make tasty wonderful chocolate fruit and nut crisps.

The crisps would be a wonderful Christmas gift as well. I am sending these favorite chocolaty delights to my sister. OH! And the recipe will also go to JFI Chocolate.

A small note - use a microwave safe dish for melting the chocolate. The first time I tried melting chocolate it was a disaster, I was also new to the whole "microwave" thing. I used a plastic dish that was microwave safe but still the chocolate (hershely's kisses) burnt. I was over greedy and used 4 minutes timer and didnt check the chocolate This was almost 5 years go. Now the disaster incidents have become sort of rare. So please keep an eye on the chocolate and no more than 30 seconds heating of chocolate in the microwave at a time