Grown-Up Chocolate Wafers

Yesterday, when I was done making chocolate-coated bacon, I used the leftovers of the chocolate to form a giant 1-inch thick chocolate bar in a bread pan... That was a HUGE mistake, as it became almost impossible to cut and break once it hardened. So today I melted it back down, and created a new treat, a treat I wish to share with you all.

2 pounds of Hershey milk chocolate chips

3 100% Cocoa Ghirardelli Tiles

1 TSP Ancho Chili Powder

1 TSP Chinese Five Spice Powder

1/2 Cup of chopped Walnuts

20-30 Paper Muffin Cup Wrapper Things

In a double boiler, or a metal pan placed atop a pot of simmering water, combine the milk chocolate and 100% cocoa tiles. Melt these down, stirring them together thoroughly. Add in the chili powder, five-spice, and walnuts. Continue stirring until all the ingredients are combined evenly. Using a scoop, pour the chocolate-walnut mixture into the paper muffin cups. Fill each cup with about 1/2 inch of chocolate. Keep filling the cups until all the chocolate mixture is used.

NOTE: Before I filled them, I lined the cups up on a cookie tray to make it easier to carry them later on.

After the cups are filled, place in a cool, dry place to chill and harden. I use the refrigerator. After a good 45-60 minutes, check on the treats, they should be hardened, if not, continue to chill them. Once they are hardened, you can serve them as-is, or package them up and give them to friends and family.

Other ideas you could use with this: you could take out the five-spice powder and add in a little ginger and nutmeg for a different change in flavor. You could swap the Ancho Chili Powder for a Chipotle Powder for a stronger kick and smokier pepper-flavor.  Maybe try changing out the walnuts for Heath toffee bits or chopped pecans, keeping the crunch but changing the flavor profile slightly. This is an easy dish to modify.

Serve this up and enjoy with friends and family!

~Bon Appétit~

Chocolate Covered Bacon

This is a relatively easy recipe and full of delicious flavors. Ignore the unhealthy aspects of it and just eat it, you won't have any regrets!

You will need:

2 Pounds of Milk Chocolate Chips
1 Pound of Thick-Sliced Hickory-Smoked Bacon
20-24 Wooden Skewers (I use Bamboo)

Preheat your oven to 400.

Cut the bacon strips in half, giving you evenly portioned 4-5 inch long strips. Take each of these strips and slide one onto each skewer, bending the strip back and forth several times as you slide it onto the wooden shank. This will help the bacon keep a nice wavy texture, as well as give you a heat-proof handle for dipping and handling.

Place the bacon on a shallow baking dish, arranging them so none of them overlap. Put the dish and bacon into the 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes, or until they are cooked through and crispy, but not burned. Once done, remove the skewered bacon and place onto a paper-towel covered plate to drain, and then place them into the fridge to cool.

After the bacon has been in the fridge for about 60-90 minutes, melt the chocolate down in a double boiler. If you do not have one, simply place a metal bowl on top of a pot of simmering water so that the bowl forms a tight seal with the pot. Maintain eye contact with the chocolate, stirring until it is thoroughly melted and smooth.

Using a spoon, pour the chocolate over the skewered bacon carefully and slowly. Take your time and do this over the pot of chocolate as to avoid a larger mess. Once each piece of bacon is covered in bacon, place onto a baking sheet covered with a non-stick sheet such as wax paper or parchment paper. When all the bacon is covered, move it back into a fridge to cool and harden. After about 30-45 minutes the chocolate coating should be hard enough to eat. Using the skewer like a Popsicle stick, enjoy your tasty creation.

ALSO: After coating each piece of bacon, you can add crushed peanuts, walnuts, pecans, sprinkles, or any other chosen topping to the still-wet chocolate coating. Adding a little chili powder to the melted chocolate in the boiler gives it a nice heat and smokey flavor. Make this dish your own by exploring the many different recipes and toppings that are possible with melted chocolate. Again, do not question the healthiness of this dish, if you are concerned this will make you fat, you are making it for the wrong reasons. Just make it and enjoy it, the flavor combination is well worth the effort. It also gives you a way to satisfy your bacon and chocolate cravings all at once.

~Bon Appétit~