12 Things You Never Thought To Dip In Chocolate (Slideshow)
At some point over the last decade or so, the Fondue Night-themed party stopped being cool, and started to get the reputation of being "dated." Odd, seeing as there's almost nothing as delicious-sounding as a piece of warm, crusty bread or an extra juicy piece of fruit into a warm pot of melted chocolate. However, the act of it seems to have lost its luster. Perhaps this lack of interest in the fondue-nomenon has to do with the simplicity of it; we stopped being creative with what we were dipping, so we lost interest all together. Rather than be predictable, we need to think outside of the fondue pot and ask ourselves one question: what haven't we dipped into chocolate that we probably should?
Doritos
The intense cheesiness and saltiness played really well into the hands of the sweet chocolate. I went with the standard Nacho Cheese flavored Doritos here, but am more than eager to try Cool Ranch.
Chicken Potstickers
Chicken potstickers, are an excellent vehicle for dipping. The savory dumplings filled with chicken and vegetables provide contrast to the sweet chocolate dip, intensifying each element of the filling. If I had to choose between a standard soy sauce and melted milk chocolate, I'd go with chocolate every time.
French Fries
The saltiness of a well-made French fry is a great contrast to a sweet milk chocolate, or a slightly bitter dark chocolate. Make sure your fries aren't too greasy, otherwise all you'll taste is the oil.
Cheese Crackers
A bit of a riff on the classic cheese cube into chocolate, but with a tad more salt and enjoyable nonetheless. I went with the classic Cheez-It, but any cheese cracker can be used here.
Zucchini Sticks
Raw zucchini is quite mild, so the best way to get the most out of this combination is to use a very high-quality milk or dark chocolate, so you can get all of the flavor of the chocolate itself without too much interruption. If you're focus is more on the dip and less on what's being dipped, zucchini sticks are a great choice.
Grilled Chicken Skewers
Try grilled and skewered, lightly-seasoned chicken breast for a combination reminiscent of chicken mole. The slight bitterness of the dark chocolate goes well with the light char on the chicken.
Celery Sticks
Celery is pretty much the perfect dipping instrument, and chocolate is no exception. The mildness serves to heighten the flavors in the chocolate, and the water from the celery served as a way to slightly dilute the dark chocolate, making it slightly less bitter.
Mozzarella Balls
The creamy, mild, and slightly salty flavor of the mozzarella makes the sweetness of milk chocolate more intense. Mozzarella dipped in dark chocolate makes for a more evident flavor contrast, but be warned — you're going to want seconds.
Avocado
In need of a healthy snack, but still want chocolate? Dip your avocado in chocolate. If dipping avocado in chocolate seems a little too weird, then you can make avocado popsicles and dip the tops in chocolate. It makes for a refreshing and chocolatey snack.
Mint Leaves
Love peppermint and chocolate? This is essentially that — all you have to do is dip a mint leaf in chocolate. You can use the chocolate covered mint leaves on top of ice cream or eat them right after the chocolate sets.
Sea Salt Potato Chips
Dipping potato chips in chocolate may not be too conventional, but it tastes delicious. It's the perfect combination of salty and sweet. Once you dip the chips, put them on a baking rack to cool — you can even add nuts, dried fruit, or added flavor.
Bread
Bread stands as a blank canvas for your chocolate. You can go with a crusty piece of bread, but white bread works just fine. Think of it as a PB&J just with chocolate spread.