Chocolate Covered Clementines & Homemade Magic Shell

Let me introduce you to my newest favorite treat. These are sweet, juicy chocolate bites of bright citrus flavor and I can not get enough of them. With about 5 minutes effort, you'll have a treat that everyone will love.

I've never quite understood the allure of combining citrus and chocolate. It sounded so strange to me. However, when you are craving chocolate covered strawberries in the middle of winter, you get desperate enough to try coating different fruits with chocolate. This is not merely a substitute for chocolate covered strawberries, these oranges have bragging rights of their own. I'm ready to try all sorts of citrus and chocolate pairings now.

And if you happen to have some of the chocolate coating leftover, you could also make some Chocolate Banana Bites, Chocolate Covered Kiwi Popsicles or use it to make a hard chocolate coating (a.k.a. Magic Shell) for ice cream. Warm the chocolate, drizzle over ice cream and then wait about 30 seconds for it to harden. An extra special dessert that will take almost no time at all and will require no baking and no special dishes to wash.

Homemade Magic Shell

1/2 cup semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons coconut oil

Warm the chocolate and the coconut oil in a glass bowl in the microwave at 50% power. Start with 1 minute and then add 30 second intervals, stirring to combine. It should take 2-3 minutes for the chocolate to soften. Stir to combine and then dip or drizzle as desired. The chocolate coating can be stored at room temperature for as long as you want. Simply reheat it if it solidifies.

If you are dipping orange slices, dip them into the melted chocolate and then set on a parchment or wax paper lined tray. When all of the fruit is dipped, place the tray in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes. Once the chocolate has hardened, transfer the oranges to an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to eat. They will keep this way for at least 2 days. Beyond that, I wouldn't know, because I haven't managed to make them last that long. Enjoy!

* I am taking the weekend off from the blog and celebrating my 15th anniversary with my husband. I'll be back on Monday with a new recipe. Happy Valentine's Day!

Click here for printable recipe

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