Valentine’s Day has come and gone, and if you celebrate, chances are you have some serious chocolate on your hands. (If you don’t—check online at grocery stores, because they’re still discounted!)
Chocolate, being chocolate, is hard to beat. And while we love wine pairings—the experts have already made them! Instead, here are some fun ideas to turn candy-eating into a real culinary experience.
Thoughtful Desserts
There’s no shame in finishing a dozen chocolates in a day. If you want to have chocolate through March, however, it can be hard to make your Valentine’s haul last. That’s because it’s so delightful to follow up candy with… more candy, and we aren’t here to insult a classic!
Pairing a meal with a coordinating truffle, placed beside the dish through the meal, can feel like a finishing touch, not a forgettable note in a line of chocolates. Here are some meal pairings to wrap up with just one chocolate, to end on a satisfactory note:
- macaroni and cheese paired with a white chocolate truffle
- chili and cornbread paired with a salted dark chocolate caramel
- peanut noodles paired with a milk chocolate with a tart fruit filling
- lemon chicken and rice paired with a hazelnut white chocolate
Chocolate Charcuterie Board
Charcuterie boards—artful arrangements of deli meats, cheeses, fruits, nuts, and spreads—are seeing new life as people of all ages share their expertise or early attempts over platforms like TikTok. Many already contain chocolate, and since charcuterie boards are all about thoughtful pairings, you can build a board with chocolate as its inspiration and base. Saltier charcuterie pairs well with chocolate caramels, while milder charcuterie pairs well with extra-dark, nutty chocolates.
If you live a low or no meat lifestyle, consider the cheeseboard. (Plus, that’s just an excuse for extra cheese—dark chocolates pair well with smooth brie or goat cheese; milk chocolate pairs well with young, creamy cheeses; and white chocolate )
Whatever direction you take, charcuterie and cheeseboards are about creating an eating experience. Using flavors that balance each other—like mildly sweet white chocolate and bitter walnuts—creates an enjoyable contrast that keeps either element from being overpowering. Dark chocolate makes many people thirsty, so consider balancing its dehydrating effect with some fresh green grapes!
If you’re having a glass of wine with your charcuterie, consider sweet or spiced red wines with milk chocolate, Pinot Noir with white chocolate, or Port with dark chocolate.
M&M Popcorn
Yes, really! The adventurous-child classic version is as simple as dumping all those pink-themed M&Ms into a bowl of popcorn, but it can be spruced up with chili powder, chili-lime seasoning, chopped-up pecans, or thinly-shredded cheddar.
