If the posts on my blog are any indication I should be blueberried out by now. But there are just some foods that I find it hard to tire of. Unsurprisingly, cheese is one. I’ve been known to gorge myself on a giant plate of fancy cheese (like umm… last night) only to crave a goey grilled cheese the next day. And after my month of blueberry recipe experimentation I’m seeing that these juicy berries belong on the list.
While tearing through my pantry in search of some ingredients for my gnocchi I stumbled across the remainder of a bag of dried blueberries I used for my quinoa salad a little while back. Knowing that I needed to prepare some small bites to take to an event for my cooking club on Sunday I immediately latched on to the idea of incorporating them into some homemade candy.
I’m mildly obsessed with an easy candy I make called a crispy crunchy which takes melted chocolate and crisped rice cereal (aka Rice Krispies, though any variety will do) and jazzes them up with all manner of fruits, nuts or cookies. In the past I’ve made Tropical Crispy Crunchies, Dark Chocolate Cherry Crispy Crunchies, and Oreo-Almond Crispy Crunchies and knew this method would work really well with dried blueberries.
For this batch I used melted white chocolate chips and crisped rice cereal and combined it with dried blueberries, pistachios, and a bit of crystalized ginger. And I have to say, I hate to toot my own horn, but I think this is my favorite version yet. I loved how the white chocolate added sweetness while still allowing the other ingredients to shine. The blueberries were ever prominent while the pisachios offset their sweetiness with the softest pop of salt. And the ginger? It added this perfect amount of spiciness to make these just a little bit more interesting. And if texture is your thing (which it certainly is mine) you’ll love the interplay of the soft berries against the crunch of the nuts and cereal.
All in all these candies are easy to make but impress with their refined flavors.
Makes 35 pieces
Ingredients:
-3/4 cup roasted salted pistachios
-1/2 cup dried blueberries
-2 tablespoons chopped crystalized ginger
-3/4 cup Rice Krispies
-One 12-ounce bag white chocolate, melted
Method:
In a bowl, combine the pistachios through Rice Krispies, stirring until well distributed. Fold in the white chocolate. Using a small ice cream scoop or pair of tablespoons, drop scoops of the mixture onto parchment paper. Allow to set up for 20 minutes and serve or store in an airtight plastic container
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
fabulous flavor combo here! and i don’t think i ever tire of blueberries
I don’t think it’s possible for me to get “berried” out – I just love them all too much! These candy clusters are so creative. I adore ginger, and the crispy rice cereal is such a fun addition!
I’m the same, I can’t get enough blueberries! These sound super addicting.
If we weren’t in the middle of a heat wave up in New England I’d be all over making these! Sadly I imagine them turning into a melty mess in my purse if I made some for snacking on at work. Seems delish!
Oh yum….I’m not sure if I could portion control there. They looks SOOOO good! Thanks for sharing the recipe!!
These sound scrumptious, love the crystallized ginger combo with blueberries!
These sound absolutely divine and BTW, I love cheese.