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

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

Ingredients:
Sugar
Water
Salt
Cashews
Unsalted butter
Bittersweet dark chocolate chips
Unsweetened cocoa powder

Directions:
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.
3. Reduce heat and simmer syrup 2 minutes.
4. 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.
5. Return nuts to skillet and cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until sugar coating is golden and no longer crystallized, 5-8 minutes.
6. Remove from heat and stir in butter.
7. Spread nuts in 1 layer in baking pan and cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes.
8. When nuts are cool, transfer to a bowl, reserving baking pan with parchment.
9. Heat half of chocolate in a microwave-safe dish in microwave at 50% power until melted, checking frequently after 2 minutes.
10. 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. Sift 2 T cocoa powder over nuts and toss to coat.
11. Return nuts to parchment-lined baking pan, separating nuts with your hands, and let stand until chocolate is completely set, about 30 minutes more.
12. Toss nuts with remaining tablespoon cocoa powder.