A classic combination: fruit and chocolate. This easy make-ahead backpacking dessert uses already dried fruit that’s dipped in chocolate, and sprinkled with a little salt. This is one of my go to desserts for the winter since you don’t have to worry about the chocolate melting!
Ingredients:
- Dried fruit of your choice. My favorite is dried mango, specifically Trader Joe’s Soft & Juicy, and dried oranges, also sold at Trader Joe’s. It could also be apples, pineapple, lemon, apricot – you name it.
- Some quality chocolate of your choice. I like to use a blend of mostly semisweet (around 70%) with a little milk chocolate (30% – 50%) mixed in. You can use chocolate chips or chop up a bar, but chips are a little easier. Please do yourself a favor, and get good chocolate! That’s half the dessert here – this is the time to splurge.
- Maldon sea salt flakes
Instructions:
At home: Cover a couple baking sheets with parchment paper. Set up a double boiler (or if you don’t have one – a pot that fits on top of another pot) with water in the bottom, and your chocolate chips in the top. Turn the stove on medium high until the chocolate starts to melt. Stir occasionally until the chocolate is fully melted. Dip half of the fruit into the chocolate, let drip off, and lay on parchment paper. When you’ve done one row, pause, and sprinkle Maldon sea salt flakes on top of the chocolate half. Once you’re done with a tray, put it in the fridge to harden. Store in the fridge until it’s packed.
Note: If you’re overly ambitious, and want to try to make your own candied oranges to dip in chocolate (one of my best received winter treats) see the candied orange recipe, and then follow the same chocolate dipping steps above.