Recipe: Chile-Chocolate Tropical Fruit
Move over, chocolate-covered strawberries — there’s a new fruit snack in town. All it takes is your favorite dried tropical fruit, chocolate chips, spices, and some flaky sea salt. Plus, there’s no fancy equipment needed to produce these gift-worthy beauties.
I love the sheer variety of dried fruit that’s available in grocery stores now. My new favorites are the tropical ones, like mango, pineapple, and papaya. Dipping them in chocolate takes them from everyday to special occasion with just a few minutes of time in the kitchen.
Start with melting some dark chocolate in the microwave, and then stir in some ground cinnamon and cayenne pepper. Now things are much more interesting — a bit like Mexican hot chocolate. After the dried fruit is dipped into this spiced chocolate, it’s sprinkled with flaky salt to make a nice contrast with all the sweetness in the fruit and chocolate.
The dipped fruit will last a few weeks, making them a perfect make-ahead dessert or food gift. They also make a great afternoon snack when you want just a little something sweet.
Chile-Chocolate Tropical Fruit
Serves 8
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- 8 ounces
dried tropical fruit, such as mango, pineapple, and papaya
- 1 cup
bittersweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate (about 4 1/2 ounces)
- 1/4 teaspoon
ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon
ground cayenne pepper
Flaky salt, such as Maldon, for sprinkling
Instructions
Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper. Separate the dried fruit pieces and place on the baking sheet in a single layer.
Place the chocolate in a small microwave-safe bowl and heat in 30-second bursts, stirring in between, until the chocolate is just melted. (Alternatively, heat the chocolate on the stovetop over low heat.) Stir in the cinnamon and cayenne.
Pick up a piece of dried fruit, dip it halfway in the chocolate, let the excess chocolate drip off, and place back on the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining fruit. Sprinkle the chocolate-covered sections of the fruit lightly with salt.
Refrigerate uncovered until the chocolate hardens, about 15 minutes. Store in an airtight container at cool room temperature for up to 2 weeks.