Apulian chocolate-covered almonds, known in the San Severo dialect as ‘i men’l attrret’, are traditional sweets that are a must on Christmas tables.
Similar to ‘mbrelline’ almonds, these are also made with just two ingredients: almonds and dark chocolate.
Naturally, each household may have variations with different types of chocolate: milk, white, or gianduia; one could also replace almonds with hazelnuts.
The term ‘atterrate’ most likely comes from the fact that the chocolate, with its brown color, resembles the earth. It could also derive from the fact that the almonds are roasted before being coated in chocolate.
They are made in just a few minutes, and my only advice is to use quality products.
So, let’s melt the chocolate because it’s time to prepare Apulian chocolate-covered almonds which are perfect as gifts too.
READ TIPS AND F.A.Q. AT THE END OF THE RECIPE
OTHER INTERESTING RECIPES:
- Cost: Cheap
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Regional Italian
- Seasonality: New Year, Christmas
- Energy 118.12 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 8.20 (g) of which sugars 4.96 (g)
- Proteins 2.91 (g)
- Fat 8.72 (g) of which saturated 2.16 (g)of which unsaturated 6.09 (g)
- Fibers 2.10 (g)
- Sodium 2.35 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 20 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 2.5 cups almonds (with skin)
- 7 oz 50% dark chocolate
Steps
Toast the almonds in the top part of the oven at 350°F for a few minutes, without burning them.
Melt the dark chocolate in the microwave at 450W for about 3.5′ (though each microwave is different, so be careful not to burn it) or in a double boiler.
Pour the roasted almonds into the melted chocolate.
Mix the 2 ingredients and ensure the almonds are coated with chocolate.
Take small mounds of almonds with a spoon and let them dry on a sheet of aluminum foil or parchment paper. Allow the chocolate to completely solidify and then remove them.
Storage:
They keep well for a long time in the pantry and can also be packaged as gifts.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Can you use skinless almonds?
Of course, I still recommend toasting them in the oven because they taste much better.
