Chocolate-Coated Bullets
I named these nibbles after the band from one of my favorite webcomics, StickManStickMan. If you’ve never read it, I urge you to start now. Trust me, it gets really good (just like these).
These treats were invented last year for a food-hacking barbecue with AHA*. To make them, first plan on bringing something else, then panic and change plans at the last minute. Once you’ve reached the proper state of mind, gather the following:
- Candied ginger (lots of small bits)
- 1/4 lb. dried Michigan cherries
- Many dark chocolate chips (2 cups or so)
- A few teaspoons of cayenne
- Toothpicks (1-5)
First off, rinse the candied ginger to remove external sugar granules. Let them dry for maybe an hour; it doesn’t matter if they’re still a little damp. Then, nuke 1/3 of your chocolate chips in a bowl and add a teaspoon or two of cayenne, to taste. Go for about 45 seconds at a time, though; if you nuke without stirring, you’ll end up with burnt chunks of choccy on the bottom of the bowl.
Use a toothpick to pick up a piece of ginger, swirl it around in the melted chocolate, and place it on a portable, nonstick surface. I tried using two toothpicks, but it was much more difficult; just stab one in there. Forks are twice as lame as two toothpicks, four times as lame as one.
Take blurry photos with your non-dominant hand…
Array your tasty delights on the nonstick thingy, then transport them to the freezer. Repeat your process so far with the cherries.
When those have gone solid, melt the rest of your chocolate, add cayenne, and dip in for round two. Believe me, this makes them WAY better; plus, it makes the cayenne hit harder!
When you’ve allowed both layers to solidify, sample your booty. You’ll see why these are rightly named Chocolate-Coated Bullets, and why my friend said they’re “like a punch to the face… in a good way.” Then, if you want to ascend to the next level, find a chocolate that stays solid after being melted down once — these aren’t very stable at room temperature.
* By happenstance, I’m now president! We five directors, having to re-enter the articles of incorporation, decided to stick with AHA’s starting goal to avoid having a single leader. To ensure that this person remains a figurehead, we put our names into a hat and drew out the new President and Secretary: myself and Xander, respectively.
•••••
Where are the weekly updates of yesteryear? Alas, life won’t settle down anytime soon, so perhaps I shall start writing a bit about my friends’ projects as well.
September 21, 2011 2:35 pm 
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