Ingredients
- 13-15
chocolate sandwich cookies, OR
- About
20 large (not miniature) soft and fresh marshmallows,
OR
- 16-18
graham crackers, each about 2-1/2" long by 1-1/8" wide,
OR
- About
60 (yes, 60!) whole dried apricots (do not use glaceed apricots)
- 6
ozs. chocolate of your choice, finely chopped, or use good-quality
chips (do not use white chocolate if you are going to dip marshmallows--the
finished product won't look very good)
- 1
Tbsp. vegetable shortening
For
Garnish:
1-2 ozs. chocolate of a contrasting color, shaved or grated (For
example, if you're using semisweet chocolate as your dipping chocolate,
white chocolate makes a good garnish.)
For
Assembly:
Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or wax paper and set aside.
Have ready items to be dipped and grated chocolate for garnish,
if used.
In small heatproof bowl, combine chopped chocolate and shortening.
Place over simmering water on low heat (water should not touch
bottom of bowl). Stir frequently until melted and smooth; remove
from heat and hot water. (Alternatively, place chopped chocolate
and shortening in small microwaveable bowl. Microwave at medium
(50%) power for thirty seconds. Stir well. Microwave at medium
(50%) power for additional short intervals, stirring well after
each, just until chocolate is melted and smooth.)
If you are dipping dried apricots, dip each one so that the chocolate
covers the bottom 2/3 to 3/4 of the fruit. After dipping, gently
scrape off any excess chocolate, then place each dipped item on
prepared baking sheet. (I don't feel that dipped dried apricots
need any decoration, as the color contrast between fruit and chocolate
is sufficient.) Chill just until set.
For sandwich cookies, marshmallows, or graham crackers, place
each item in the melted chocolate and gently roll around a bit
with a fork to make sure it's well-covered. Then, without spearing
on fork tines, scoop item up with fork and scrape off any excess
chocolate (I use a toothpick to do this). Gently push item from
fork onto prepared baking sheet (again, I use a toothpick here).
After dipping every 3 or 4 items, I garnish what I've just dipped
by sprinkling items lightly with the contrasting-color grated
chocolate. When you've finished dipping, chill just until chocolate
is set. Store as described above.
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