Slow Cooker Chocolate Candy

  Here's an easy and yummy do-ahead recipe that falls squarely into a category that I like to call "stupid simple." I'm not even kidding. If you're not usually one to cook, then this is the recipe for you. It's about as easy as it gets! You just throw everything into a crock pot and then in about 3 hours you give it a stir. That's all there is to it! See what I mean? Simple!! When I saw Trisha Yearwood making this on her show, I knew this would be a perfect recipe to share around the holidays, just because everyone is in such a rush with shopping and cooking and decorating and baking. But with this recipe, you can start your crock pot on a Sunday morning, put on a load of laundry, go finish running your errands, then by the afternoon, you're ready to stir everything together and fill your candy cups. You'll be finished in no time at all! You could even put the cups in decorative tins and give them as gifts. And everyone will be SO impressed that you made your own candy! It's so much more personal than just buying a box of candy, dontcha think? So give it a try! And just think, maybe this will be the recipe that you become famous for making every year! It could happen!!

2 pounds salted dry-roasted peanuts
4 ounces German's sweet chocolate (about 4 squares)

1 12-ounce package semisweet chocolate chips (about 2 cups)
2 1/2 pounds white almond bark

Put the peanuts in the bottom of a 4-quart slow cooker. Layer the chocolate over the peanuts, beginning with the sweet chocolate, followed by the chocolate chips and then the almond bark. Set the temperature on low and cook for 3 hours. Do not stir the mixture. After 3 hours, stir the mixture with a wooden spoon until smooth. Drop the candy into cupcake pan liners using about 2 tablespoons per liner.* Allow the candy to cool completely before removing the cupcake liners.

Tips:
 *I decided to use mini cupcake tins instead of the regular ones. I wanted smaller bites, and I also like how they dress up a plate of cookies. No mini cupcake tins? No problem!!  Just place the mini cupcake paper liners in empty egg cartons to help them hold their shape while they set! Easy!
Btw, be sure to use salted nuts. The salt is key! Just sayin!

Not a fan of peanuts? Use any kind that you like! Cashews, pecans, and macadamia nuts would be high on my list. I think I'll try them next time!
This recipe makes quite a few mini candy cups, probably 100-110 depending on how full you make them. I'm not seeing this as a problem, but if you don't want that many, it seems to me that cutting the recipe in half would work just as well.

I also decided to use a small ice cream scoop to portion each one, just to make it easier. Turns out this was a really good idea!