Peanut Clusters, A Cold Weather Must Have

It's time to make wintertime treats, and who can resist Peanut Clusters?  This recipe is from my Grandma Betty Rust.

These perfectly chocolaty peanut-y globs remind me of Christmas at the Rust Farm in Webb. I don't ever remember watching Grandma make them, they were just always ready to go on the cookie tray, or in a white, rectangular Tupperware container, separated by waxed paper. It also makes me wonder how many times my Mom made these over the years?

To be honest, this was my first foray into the peanut cluster making business.  Aside from all of them I've eaten over the years, I've never actually made them myself. They are also one of Eddie's favorites, so it's about time I made some!

Good news is they're super easy to make, and don't require high temperatures that make this Mamma worry about little helping fingers.  I usually have Griffin as my kitchen helper these days, and his fingers survived ouch free.

Here we go:

In a large pan, on low heat (I used heat setting 2 out of 8 on my stove), melt

1 1/2 lbs chocolate almond bark, or 1 package like pictured

1 cup milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

When melted, add 1 pound Spanish Peanuts* & stir

Drop by spoonfuls on waxed paper and cool in the fridge, or outside on the freezing front step, like I did. Give them a few minutes to set and they are ready to enjoy!

*Of course, I rarely make recipes by the book because I don't always have the exact ingredients. Today I bought raw peanuts instead of Spanish Peanuts. They're good for Peanut Brittle, but bad for Peanut Clusters.  So, thanks to finding roasting instructions on the internet, I roasted the nuts in a single layer on a baking pan in the oven at 350 degrees for 17 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once done I gave them a little sprinkle of salt and they were good to go.

Also, let your little helper lick the spoon!

I hope these treats help you make memories with your family this winter!

Love, Mama Rust