I was doing a post the other day about Ghirardelli Luxe chocolates (there’s also a recipe for homemade hot cocoa there) and saw this recipe over at Ghirardelli.com. I’ve never made a panini before and don’t have a panini maker, but you don’t need one with this recipe. It not only sounded  good and chocolatey, it also sounded really quick and easy, so I decided to try this Chocolate Panini out. The recipe suggests using a baguette…I used a mini-baguette to see how that would work, but I recommend using a regular-size baguette because the slices would be much easier to handle and flip in the pan. But my mini-panini’s still were tasty, even though they were a little messy! 🙂 This makes a great chocolate snack, dessert, or breakfast/brunch item if you want to have something chocolate on your morning menu. You can make it a little fancier by dusting the tops of the panini with powdered sugar and sprinkling with shaved chocolate or chocolate chips…or you could melt some additional chocolate and drizzle over the top. But it’s great just the way it is, too. This buttery bread and chocolate combination reminds me of a chocolate croissant, but the nice thing about this recipe is that you can make it in minutes. It’s like making grilled cheese, only you’re using chocolate instead of cheese!

CHOCOLATE PANINI

• 8-ounce semi-sweet chocolate baking bar (or two 4-ounce bars)
• 1 18-inch baguette
• 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

Slice the baguette on the diagonal into 1/2 to 3/4-inch thick slices (you should have at least 20 slices). Break the chocolate into 1/2 ounce squares. Butter one side of each slice of bread with 1/2 teaspoon of butter and make a sandwich, butter side out, using a piece and a half of chocolate per sandwich. Heat a large pan over medium heat and, in batches, cook each sandwich until golden brown, pressing down with a spatula. Flip the sandwiches and cook the second side until golden brown, about 30 seconds. Keep warm in the oven until ready to serve. (Note: You can also make these with a panini maker if you have one.)

Linked to I’m Lovin’ It, Favorite Things Friday, Feature Yourself Friday, Foodie Friday.