Nuts in Chocolate – Yay or Nay?
I’m not shy about the fact that one of my favorite chocolate quotes is “Nuts take up space where chocolate ought to be”. As a general rule, I say “nay” to nuts in chocolate. When a brownie recipe calls for walnuts, my policy is to omit them. When I have the opportunity to have a chocolate containing peanuts that haven’t been ground to paste (otherwise known as peanut butter), I pass. (Notable exception: Coco-nuts. Coconut and chocolate were made for each other. Examples range from Mounds bars to Dick Taylor Maple Coconut to Lake Champlain Creamy Coconut.)
Many people say “anything is good when covered in chocolate”. I dispute this. (After having tasted chocolate containing cilantro, chocolate studded with ants, and chocolate festooned with mushrooms…to name a few…I am definitely of the opinion that not everything is good with chocolate.) Covering nuts (or covering anything, for that matter) with chocolate doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re instantly turned into a tasty treat.
Then, just a week or so ago, a gift arrived in the form of milk chocolate covered almonds.
Cons: Well, they were nuts. (Obviously.)
Pros: The nuts were almonds, the chocolate was milk chocolate, and it was a very nice gift.
With the positives overwhelmingly outweighing the negatives, into my mouth one went. Another promptly followed. I couldn’t stop. Worried they’d all disappear before anyone else got to taste them, I seem to recall going around the house extending a handful and grunting and pointing and raising my eyebrows, trying to convey “Have some; they’re DELICIOUS” without actually saying so, ’cause my mouth was full.
When the words finally came, they were something along the lines of: “Those were so good, they made me forget I don’t even like nuts in my chocolate!” (to everyone’s amusement)
I still think walnuts don’t belong in brownies, and peanuts don’t belong in pralines. But I do know that a certain box of chocolate covered almonds has opened my eyes to the fact that nuts in chocolate aren’t always all that bad. Not bad at all.
What say ye? Yay or nay (to nuts in chocolate)?