I use them with dried raspberries in homemade granola.

These buckwheat cookies are delicious:

http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/nibby-buckwheat-butter-cookies-recipe.html

Can anyone tell me how bitter cacao nibs are supposed to be? I've had them several times in organic chocolate bars before and have loved both the taste and the texture. But when I bought a full bag of organic nibs at Whole Foods, they were so horribly bitter that they were just impossible for me to eat. I can't imagine that mixing them with something sweet would make them more palatable, but then again I've never dealt with raw nibs before. Is this normal or did I maybe get a bad batch?

http://freshcatering.blogspot.com/2008/02/cocoa-nib-vanilla-bean-chocolate-chip.html

If the dough's a little dry, put in a splash of good gold tequila, it only makes them tastier.

Yes, they're very bitter. There's no sweetness to it at all. I can't really imagine eating them plain anymore than I'd snack on coffee beans.

On their own, very bitter, when I find them sweet - if you check closely - they've usually been mixed with some melted lower % chocolate.

More ideas I tried for nibs:

In my morning oatmeal

Ice cream

Sauces, used as a component to mole & the bitterness worked

Cookies

Meringues: Tartine, in San Francisco, makes a couple varieties one of which is cacao nib - though I prefer the almond - here's the basic recipe for their Rocher meringue cookies:
http://www.npr.org/programs/atc/features/2002/oct/slow_food/

Chocolate cake (crushed and coating the sides of a frosted cake)

I tend not to use them very often, though they were fine to experiment with, most people who tried them didn't care for the bitterness.

Note, there's also a recipe at the above link for Tartine's Chocolate and Walnut Cookies using cacao nibs.

Vanilla bean and Cacoa nib brittle is one of the best ways I've had it - the brittle is so sweet, it's great with the bitter nibs.

the Chocolate & Zucchini cookbook has an INTENSE chocolate cookie recipe which is:

* A chocolate cookie,
* with chocolate chips,
* and cacao nibs.

It's easy, it's impossibly rich, it's amazing.

@caseoftornados - do you have a recipe that you like for tha brittle? Sounds interesting.

Thanks.

Allisen & Rucy: Thanks for the info. I'm glad to know I didn't get a funky batch. I will give them a try sparingly in something quite sweet to try to counter the bitterness. The vanilla bean brittle that caseoftornados mentioned sounds very promising. I'll have to start looking for a recipe.

Definitely in granola!

Actually I played around with a homemae extract by soaking about 1/4 cup nibs in 2 cups of vodka for about 3 months. Perfect for chocolate flavour without the chocolate. Just as you would use vanilla.

Lemontart is right about infusing things with cocoa nibs. You can toast them slightly and then infuse cream with them to give whipped cream an extra something. Or you can use this same infused cream in a panna cotta. Just don't let the nibs get old: they start getting woody after that.

Enjoy!

Take a look at Alice Medrich's books, Bittersweet and Pure Dessert (the buckwheat cookies linked above is from Pure Dessert). They have some really great recipes with cacao nibs and very useful general info on how to use them.

Medrich's cacao nib pudding is completely out-of-control wonderful! It's like an earthier and yet more ethereal cousin to your standard chocolate pudding. Hmm, nibs in the pantry and milk and cream in the fridge...I know what I'm making for dessert tonight.

maybe I suffer from "iron chef" syndrome, but I would say....ice cream!

I have this cookie dough chilling in my fridge this very moment:

http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/mocha-slice-cookies

They are amazing. We give them away as gifts and everyone raves over them.

They're very good in shortbread cookies.

Wow! You are all awesome! I think I'll need to get some more to fulfill all these great ideas. Thanks!!

i blend them up in smoothies! i like the texture and the jolt it supplies (theobromine!) for breakfast smoothies. almond milk + cacao beans/nibs + a few raw, unsalted cashews + frozen banana + frozen berries = magical breakfast.