helllllllooooo 2016.

let's bring in the new year with chocolate and citrus and salt. because it's worth it. in every way. especially because its fruit and thereby HEALTHY (I'm not even mentioning the antioxidants in the chocolate!).

you're welcome.

i feel like overnight it became FRIGIDLY cold. did that happen where you are?

it was like right after new years mother nature decided “NOPE! just kidding its winter now! HERE HAVE SOME TEN FREAKING DEGREE WEATHER THAT FEELS LIKE FIVE BELOW ZERO.”

i mean, we've shut ALL the windows in the apartment which is a huge deal for my ice box loving boyfriend who almost cried when i moved the air conditioner out of the bedroom in October. sigh.

that's why we're talking about these little bursts of sunshine!

they're warm and juicy and they remind me of summerrrrrr. which i want back. right now. PUHLEASE.

but seriously, i thought my fingers were going to fall off walking home yesterday. it was… AGGRESSIVE.

NOW, i'm done talking about how cold it is. and we can talk chocolate. because chocolate is dreamy and wonderful and warmmmmm. velvety? should i stop talking?

it is weird that i really only like dark chocolate? i kind of hate milk chocolate. unless it's paired with something… like peanut butter. and FORGET ABOUT white chocolate. absolutely not.

which leaves us with dark chocolate.

nom.

this is really just a mashup of classic combos. because i think dark chocolate and fruit is a classic (strawberries anyone?). and i KNOW dark chocolate and sea salt is a combo worthy of the gods. is i could somehow work caramel in here and have it work too i'd be all about that.

because let's be real… girl's got a godiva dark chocolate caramel sea salt square obsession.

(and i'm not sorry about it. … at all.)

um. woah. hello gorgeous ^

OH another point on the cold (i'm so sorry) – i made these with the windows open on sunday and I had to REHEAT the chocolate when i was dipping them because it HARDED. ugh.

but the good news is that when the chocolate hardens, that's the best part!

when the chocolate hardens you and bite into it and get the crunchy texture with the flavor explosion (have i overused “flavor explosion” in 2016 yet?) of the clementines and the gush of juice. i think my first words were “holy crap.”

plus they're SO pretty and really low maintenance and would be totally perfect for the next party you have to bring something to. OR your next get together. OR a monday night watching the bachelor?

or all of the above. (and as a bed time snack).

Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Clementines

Author: Ashley Renee
Prep Time: 5
Total Time: 5

Scale

Ingredients

3 clementines
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
pink himalayan sea salt

Instructions

Peel the clementines and separate the segments.
Place the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl and heat on high in 15 second increments, stirring in between, until completely melted.
Dip the clementine segments into the chocolate half way and lay on parchment paper or a silpat mat. Sprinkle sea salt over the chocolate before it hardens.
Store in a cool place to let the chocolate harden.
Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.