Chocolate Covered Hazelnut Pomegranates
In an attempt to satisfy my sweet tooth on the Paleo diet I’ve come to make up a lot of my own recipes. Today I’m so excited to share with you this chocolate covered hazelnut pomegranate recipe. Its the perfect blend of salty, nutty and a punch of sweet. You can game up or down your sweetness to your preference. For those, like me, who have tolerated pure chocolate this adds a pop of sweetness without adding any sweeter, but for the rest of the world a little extra maple syrup or swapping out pure cocoa for chocolate chips will do the trick to keep this recipe a nice tasty Christmas/holiday or let’s be real any day treat. 
Ingredients
- 2oz chopped baking chocolate or 1/4c semi sweet chocolate chips (use 100% cocoa for paleo)
- 2 tbps nut butter*
- 1tbps maple syrup (optional, I omitted)
- 1/4c + 1tbps hazelnuts roasted, shelled and chopped**
- ½ cup of pomegranate seeds from 1 pomegranate***
- Sea salt
Clearly toddler approved. My daughter snuck a piece while I was taking photos. haha.
Directions:
- Place a silicon baking matte or parchment paper on a baking sheet
- Melt chocolate and nut butter in microwave at 30 second increments. Repeat 3 times until smooth.
- Mix in maple syrup.
- Mix in pomegranate and 1/4c chopped hazelnuts.
- Spoon clumps of mixture out onto silicon or parchment covered baking sheet. Separate with your fingers to the size you desire.
- Sprinkle with salt and remaining hazelnuts.
- To set chocolate, place in freezer for 15-20minutes or refrigerate for 45 minutes.
- Store in the refrigerator. Enjoy!
*I used hazelnut butter. To make roasted hazelnuts (if not already roasted) bake at 350 for 8-10minutes or until fragrant. Let cool slightly. Rub between paper towels to remove shells. Try to remove at least 75% of shells. Place in food processor for 15-20 minutes until smooth.
**Trader Joe’s carries pre roasted and shelled hazelnuts. Otherwise you can roast and she’ll them yourself. Bake at 350 for 8-10minutes or until fragrant. Let cool slightly. Rub between paper towels to remove shells. Try to remove at least 75% of shells.
***To get to seeds from a pomegranate start with wearing an old shirt or apron they are messy. Fill a small bowl with cool water. Using a sharp knife and cutting board cut open pomegranate in half then in quarters. Slowly peel off membranes from seeds dropping seeds into the water. Membranes will float to the top so you can collect seeds wants you are finished. OR you can buy straight pomegranate seeds.
