Chocolate-covered Cashews - Tenpenh Restaurant, Washington D. C.

Total Time: 1 hr 55 mins Preparation Time: 1 hr 30 mins Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 3/4 cups raw cashews (1/2 lb)
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 8 ounces fine-quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped (not unsweetened or extra-bitter)
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened dutch cocoa

Recipe

• 1 line bottom of a shallow baking pan with parchment or wax paper.
• 2 bring sugar, water, and salt to a boil in a 12" heavy skillet, stirring until sugar is dissolved. reduce heat and simmer syrup 2 minutes.
• 3 put nuts in a large heatproof bowl, then add syrup and toss with a wooden spoon until nuts are coated and sugar begins to crystallize, about 3 minutes.
• 4 return nuts to skillet and cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until sugar coating is golden and no longer crystallized, 5-8 minutes. remove from heat and stir in butter.
• 5 spread nuts in 1 layer in baking pan and cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes.
• 6 when nuts are cool, transfer to a bowl, reserving baking pan with parchment. heat half of chocolate in a microwave-safe dish in microwave at 50% power until melted, checking frequently after 2 minutes. add remaining chopped chocolate to melted chocolate and stir until smooth, then pour over nuts and let stand, stirring occasionally, until chocolate is almost set, 20-25 minutes.
• 7 sift 2 t cocoa powder over nuts and toss to coat.
• 8 return nuts to parchment-lined baking pan, separating nuts with your hands, and let stand until chocolate is completely set, about 30 minutes more.
• 9 toss nuts with remaining tablespoon cocoa powder.