Melting the Chocolate

• Chop about 1/2 pound of dark chocolate for every cup of almonds and add it to a stainless-steel mixing bowl. Add 1/2 tablespoon each of butter and cream, and set the bowl over a pot of simmering water. Stir the chocolate continually until melted. Cream and butter makes the chocolate a bit glossier and pourable, which helps the excess drip from the almonds. You don't need to temper the chocolate when you add cream and butter, either.

Coating and Chilling

• Add the almonds to the melted chocolate and stir to coat. Scoop out a few almonds at a time from the chocolate using a slotted spoon and let the excess drip away. Transfer the almonds to a sheet pan lined with parchment paper; repeat with the remaining almonds. Separate any clustered almonds using a paring knife. Chill the almonds in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes and store them in an airtight container.