Continuing the Bits & Pieces Theme for Vegan MoFo:

Chocolate Jumbles!

The inspiration for the Jumble came when I inadvertently left a goodie bag of chocolates, candies and chocolate-covered pretzels in my car on a hot summer day while on vacation.  I wasn't about to throw all that yummy-ness out, so I popped it into our hotel room’s little fridge.  Later that night with the rest of the family asleep (I’m the night owl), I was able to enjoy a good book while I munched on the bits of salty, nutty, sweet, chocolately bits I broke off from the previously messy bag of goo. Delicious!

So the idea was born to try this at home, on purpose, with whatever I had on hand.  What isn't improved by a chocolate bath?

Ingredients

½ cup of any leftover vegan chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips = ½ cup

1/3 cup of small pretzels, broken

1 cup of chopped mixed dried fruit and nuts

There are endless variations from this simple idea, but keep in mind something sweet, something salty and something chocolate should be included. 

Notes

For this batch I really used up some Bits & Pieces that had been banging around my freezer and pantry for quite a while.  There was a scant ¼ cup of peanuts at the bottom of a jar and a ½ of a bag of whole dried apricots and peaches that everyone had been ignoring.  I diced the dried fruit and added golden raisins to the peanuts to equal one cup. 

I had frozen a part of a chocolate rice crispy type chocolate bar called boom Choco boom from Enjoy Life and an Endangered Species Cranberry and Almond dark chocolate bar.  I melted them in the microwave and they came together beautifully.  An equal amount (1/2 cup) of chocolate chips would serve the same purpose.

Directions

Combine dried fruit, nuts and pretzels in a small bowl.

Microwave chocolate at 30 second intervals, stirring each time, until chocolate is completely melted and smooth.

Pour chocolate over dry mixture and stir to coat.

Using a tablespoon, plop out balls of the mixture onto a wax paper covered cutting board or tray and refrigerate until firm.