Creative Ways To Feed Your Chocolate Addiction

Hi, I'm [river in Ireland], and I'm a chocoholic. It's been...Okay, forget the twelve-step stuff. I love chocolate, so I might as well stop fighting and just embrace it. Since I have no intention of giving up my brown best friend, I'm going to share some recipes with you that I have come across in my years as a chocolate addict.

For all of these recipes, you will need at least one package of confectioner's chocolate.  This melts much more easily and evenly than the standard bars and chocolate chips.  You can use milk, dark or white chocolate-whichever you prefer. Adjust any amounts to suit your own taste.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Crackers-Make peanut butter 'sandwiches' using Ritz crackers. Use a spoon or fondue fork to dip the cracker into melted confectioner's chocolate. Place on a sheet of wax paper and let them set...you can leave them on the counter, but I recommend putting them on a cookie sheet in the refrigerator. That way, you can enjoy the peanut-butter goodness sooner! Well, that, and the cats won't get them. :)  I've used saltines as well, but I prefer Ritz.

For another twist (no pun intended), use pretzels. The finished product will make for a good snack, as well as an inexpensive holiday gift. One year, my husband and I made a big batch and divided it up among our friends...it was *much* cheaper than the mall, and there's no risk of anyone 're-gifting'! 


Chocolate-Covered Cherries-the 'real' kind. I love cherries, but don't much care for the cordials you get in the usual box of chocolates. The stems on the cherries in the bottle of maraschinos make them the perfect fruit for dipping.  Besides,  maraschinos don't have the pits in them. You can eat them right after dipping or you could let them set on a sheet of wax paper and save them for later. 
 

Peppermint Bark. Is a perfect 'holiday' treat, but why wait until December when it's easy enough to make now? Melt your confectioner's chocolate on the stove or in the microwave. I used the microwave. Take approximately 20 peppermints, unwrap them and put them in a plastic bag. Crush the candies in the bag and pour the pieces into the melted chocolate, stirring while you pour. Putting in ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract will add even more minty goodness! When you've put all of the crushed peppermints into the chocolate, you can pour the mixture onto a wax-paper-lined cookie sheet and spread to desired thickness. Let candy cool until hardened-approximately 30 minutes in the refrigerator or 1 hour at room temperature. Once it's hard, just break it apart with your hands and enjoy! This one also makes a great gift; just line a festive box with wax paper and pack the candy in gently. Delicious!


There are many more recipes out there, but these are my favorites. Experiment on your own, and don't worry about messing up. After all, it is chocolate-even when it's bad, it's still pretty good!