Fran’s Recipe for National Chocolate Covered Anything Day

National Chocolate Covered Anything Day? Who is in charge of this calendar!? Well, eat your oatmeal first, because I am not going to suggest that you cover your fully loaded bowl of creamy oats with a layer of chocolate. If you have not already heard my personal motto… here it is. Eat your greens, grains, beans and more greens, and then save room for a piece of a delicious vegan chocolate dessert. I’ve been living this way for decades now and I am one happy  (and healthy) woman!

This photo, which has been making the rounds, I know, is worth revisiting on Chocolate Covered Anything Day. The story behind this “I can’t believe how yummy it is photo” by Kate Lewis, goes like this: I wanted to a melted chocolate dip that was a little more interesting than just melted chocolate and I wanted one that would dry like tempered chocolate, but without having to temper it.  I played with adding a neutral tasting olive oil and the melted chocolate dip dried shiny and gorgeous as I’d hoped, but it tasted awesome too! Now, I sometimes add a fruity olive oil, such as an arebquina. The extra virgin olive oils I use are from California Olive Ranch – the Everyday Oil for most of my batter-based recipes, and the more assertive oils when I want the taste of the olive to come through. I had expected to see a photo of fruit dipped in chocolate but Kate had other ideas! I flipped over the photo that is naughty and nice! Do add a lot of dipped fruit to your platter. You will find suggestions for dipping in the recipe that follows.  Happy CCEDay to you!

Please leave a comment (I love comments) telling me what your most favorite plate of chocolate dipped everythings would hold!

Have a happy day!!

Fran

Chocolate Olive Oil Glaze for Everything

Shiny chocolate-dipped fruit, cookies, confections, and snacks like pretzels and potato chips look gorgeous, but most of the time, when dipped in melted chocolate alone, the final result is dull or speckled with white spots. Tempered chocolate, however, yields a glossy, speckle-free appearance. Directions for seed-tempering chocolate are found in my book Vegan Chocolate: Unapologetically Luscious and Decadent Dairy-Free Desserts, but this recipe offers an alternative method: adding some mild tasting extra-virgin olive oil to melted chocolate. The result is not a true tempered chocolate, but this works very well as a chocolate dip and even a lusciously smooth cake glaze. If you don’t want to wait for the chocolate glaze to set, just dip and eat!

Note: 
Fruit must be thoroughly dry and cold before dipping (chocolate sets fastest on cold fruit). Rinse the fruit gently (do not wash berries more than 30 minutes before using), gently pat dry with paper towels and refrigerate until cold.

Ingredients

• 6 ounces / 170 grams dark chocolate (70 to 72%), finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons / 30 ml mild tasting extra-virgin oil or any neutral vegetable oil
• 2 pinches flaked sea salt (optional)

Recommended Items For Dipping

• Long-stem or standard strawberries
• Blueberries, raspberries, blackberries
• Cherries on the stem
• Citrus segments (mandarin oranges or grapefruit, cleaned of all pith and “string”)
• Dried fruit
• Pomegranate seeds
• Sunflower seeds
• Potato chips
• Pretzels
• Cookies

Preparation:

1. Line a sheet pan with a piece of plastic wrap, acetate, or parchment or a Silpat baking mat.
2. Melt half of the chocolate with the olive oil in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water (make sure the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl), stirring a few times until the chocolate is just melted. Add the rest of the chocolate and stir until melted.
3. Remove the bowl from the saucepan. Wipe the water from the bottom of the bowl. Crush the salt (if using) between your fingers and add it to the chocolate, stirring until the chocolate is completely melted and the glaze is smooth.
4. To dip larger items: hold by the end or stem. Dip each piece two-thirds of the way into the chocolate. Lift up and allow the excess chocolate to drip back into the bowl. Set each piece on the lined sheet pan and push forward just slightly, so the chocolate doesn’t puddle too much. (Don’t worry if it does.) Allow the chocolate to set at room temperature for about 15 minutes, then refrigerate on the tray until set.
5. To dip smaller pieces, such as nuts or seeds, plunk a bunch at a time into a shallower bowl of chocolate and push them around with a fork until coated. Remove with a large fork or slotted spoon and allow the excess chocolate to drip back into the bowl. Place on the lined baking sheet to harden and then refrigerate.
6. Refrigerate until serving. The chocolate-dipped “anythings” will peel off the acetate, parchment, or Silpat when the chocolate has hardened.

Recipe from Vegan Chocolate: Unapologetically Luscious and Decadent Dairy-Free Desserts, © 2013 by Fran Costigan. Photo © Kate Lewis 2013