Often, when making a recipe with chocolate you have leftovers. Or you’re left with pieces of different chocolate bars. Do not throw them away, because they can be used to make wonderful recipes.
Chocolate calls us, we buy it and it often ends up accumulating at home. We think that we will end up eating it, but the truth is that with the tempo it loses flavor and can spoil if it is not properly preserved (in a cool and dry place, but outside the fridge).
Fortunately, chocolate is one of those foods that can be easily recycled. We give you delicious ideas of what you can do with leftover chocolate.
1. MAKE A CHOCOLATE FONDUE
A chocolate fondue can be enjoyed with friends, but it’s also fun at the family table with kids who love to dip pieces of fruit into melted chocolate.
It is quick to prepare: chop the chocolate into small pieces and melt it in a saucepan in a water bath. Water should not boil, otherwise chocolate can form lumps.
If you don’t have a special fondue pot or other heat-resistant container, you can improvise by placing the melted chocolate in a water bath on the table.
2. CHOCOLATE FRUITS
In a melt you can cover the fruit with chocolate and eat it instantly, but you can also let it cool to take it at any time.
The classic fruit to take with chocolate is banana, whose flavors combine perfectly, but pineapple, apples, mangoes or grapes can also be covered with chocolate. Another delicious option is the date.
Chocolate fruits are also easy to make: melt the leftover chocolate in a water bath, prick the fruit and dip it, garnish with sparks, chips or shavings, as you wish. To cool them, let them dry on baking paper or simply on a plate.
3. USE CHOCOLATE FOR ICING
Leftover chocolate can easily be used as icing for cakes or muffins.
Again, the chocolate enters the bain-marie first. Normal chocolate, when melted, turns out to be a little thicker than the specific product for coverage, but if you wish, to achieve the desired consistency you can dilute it by adding cocoa butter or soy milk.
4. TURN CHOCOLATE INTO CHIPS
You can find them in supermarkets, but it’s best to make them in your kitchen. Crispy chocolate chips are very easy to make, after all, they are just chocolate-covered cornflakes and almond bits.
You can already guess how it is done: melt the chocolate in a water bath, then mix in a bowl with the crushed cornflakes and chopped almonds. Let them cool on baking paper.
If you want, you can also experiment with other nuts (roasted) such as hazelnuts or cashews and other puffed cereals. A delicious touch is given by dried raspberry flakes.
5. CHOCOLATE SHAVINGS
It couldn’t be easier: grate leftover chocolate into small pieces with a manual grater or sharp knife. You can then use fresh chocolate shavings as decoration for cakes or desserts. For a sweet breakfast, simply sprinkle the flakes on bread with butter or mix them with muesli.
6. TRANSFORM IT INTO A COCOA SMOOTHIE
You can also prepare a cocoa drink based on real chocolate in less than a minute. To do so, you just need to heat the milk or plant-based drink, and then add the chocolate pieces. The smaller the pieces, the faster they will dissolve.
If you like a spicier flavor, you can add a little cinnamon or vanilla sugar.
7. MAKE YOUR OWN CHOCOLATE BARS
If you wish, you can also transform your old chocolate stock into new creations. To make it, blend the leftover chocolate to the water bath and then carefully pour it into a suitable mold.
Before the chocolate hardens you can enrich it as you wish, for example with split cashews, crushed cornflakes, hazelnuts, pieces of biscuit, grated coconut, almond slices, nuts (raspberries, blackberries or strawberries) …
If you like to experiment, you can also sprinkle salt, peppercorns (colored), rose petals or chili flakes on the chocolate dough not yet hardened.
8. MORE IDEAS FOR USING CHOCOLATE
Other things you can do with recycled chocolate are:
- Chocolate mousse
- Homemade chocolates
- Chocolate pretzels
- Chocolate-coated coffee beans
- Chocolate Cookies
- Chocolate nuts
Chocolate sauce
