Mandelsplitter: Two Ingredient German Slivered Chocolate Almonds Drops…

One of the easiest Weihnachtskekse you can make this holiday season are Mandelsplitter or slivered chocolate almond drops. Not only do these Christmas cookies come together in just a few minutes, since they consist only of a few steps and two ingredients, but they also do not include any flour or any regular sugar. Healthy, right?

Held together by hardened chocolate, these delicious Christmas treats will turn your kitchen into a fragrance delight and are perfect for those advent get-togethers. In many German households, these cookies also become the perfect last-minute Christmas present since these bite-sized snacks are easily put into a Christmas-ribbon-wrapped tin or mason jar.

Ingredients:

• 300 grams or roughly 2 1/2 cups of dark chocolate (it can also be white or milk chocolate)
• 400 grams or 3 2/3 cups of slivered almonds

Instructions:

• Place almonds into a nonstick pan. Without adding any oil or butter, roast the almonds on medium heat. Keep an eye on the pan because they can burn very easily. (You can also place the almonds on a cookie sheet and bake in the oven at 180 degrees Celsius or 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 5 minutes.)
• Chop or break chocolate into small chunks.
• Place chocolate pieces into a heat-proof bowl.
• Place the bowl over a saucepan or pot of simmering water.
• Stir the chocolate as it begins to soften.
• Continue to melt chocolate pieces until chocolate has a smooth consistency. (You can also melt the chocolate in the microwave using a microwave safe dish in 30 second intervals but doing it over the stove will give you a much smoother consistency.)
• NOTE: Use a chocolate bar rather than chocolate chips, because chocolate chips are meant to hold their shape in heat.
• Place roasted almonds into melted chocolate and stir.
• Using a small spoon, transfer a small amount of the almond-chocolate mixture into small cupcake liners and let cool. (You can also place the mixture on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and peel them off after they have hardened.)
• Store in a tin container. Note: Mandelsplitter are best enjoyed a day after making them because it allows the flavors of the cookie to develop even more.