Suddenly, we are week into June and summer feels as if it’s in full swing. I’m still trying to figure out where April and May went, but, alas no complaints here that it’s summer.
So what does that mean for the Carmel Kama’aina? Chocolate dipped frozen fruit season is back! Since I’m in Hawaii, we naturally have to kick off this summer’s wave of 2 ingredient popsicles (yes, you read that right – just chocolate + the fruit) with pineapple. Whether or not you believe me that we can accomplish something so delicious with just two ingredients, I dare you to try it. I promise it will surprise and delight you.
Ingredients:
(Makes ~30 slices (depending on thickness & pineapple size)
- 1/2 of a fresh, ripe pineapple
- 1/3 cup dark or semisweet chocolate chips*
Directions:
- Cut pineapple half into four pieces, lengthwise. Remove the core then cut each of the 4 strips into ~1/4th inch sides. Set aside.
- Put chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 15 seconds, then stir. Repeat until almost all chocolate is melted – then stir to melt final chocolate chips. See notes and do NOT try to shortcut this step (!!)
- Using the back of a spoon, spread your melted chocolate over the bottom half of the pineapple slices. I like to do chocolate on both sides of my pineapple, but that’s a personal preference.
- Arrange on a plate, then freeze for at least 1 hour, or until the pineapple seems firmly frozen. Enjoy!
Notes:
On the chocolate type: In my opinion, the darker the better, as it balances out the sweet tanginess of the pineapple. I used 54% cacao because that was the darkest I could find.
On the chocolate preparation: I know it seems annoying to have to continuously stop & start the microwave; however, this is imperative so that you don’t burn your chocolate. The formal process is called tempering, and this is the easiest short cut I have found. Still don’t believe me that this is necessary? You’re welcome to experiment, but you’ll find your smooth chocolate starts to harden and shrivel up after about a minute or so of being melted — if you don’t do it this way!
What am I listening to as I make this? “Purple Hat” by Sofi Tukker
What can I learn while I make this? The short version of what tempering is! Picture a pretty piece of chocolate. It’s glossy with a smooth finish, right? That’s the output of tempering in action! You experience it with every chocolate bar you eat, yet likely have never had to do it yourself. More formally, tempering is a process used for heating and cooling chocolate to make chocolate/chocolate covered treats that gives it the smooth glossy finish.
What if I want a chocolate dipped treat but not this one? Don’t worry– I won’t be offended! Check out these other ideas below:
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