Adding a touch of smoke to chocolate chips is not only relatively easy, it's a great way to add an unexpected layer of flavor to cookies, ice cream, home-made candies, and so much more.  Here's how!

SMOKED CHOCOLATE CHIPS

Ingredients

12oz. dark chocolate chips

Additional Tools

1 pie pan

Instructions

Heat 2-3 Kingsford charcoal briquets.  Place on one end of the grill’s bottom grate.  Add 2 small chunks of your favorite smoking wood.  Fill a cake pan with ice.

Place chocolate chips in a second cake pan or pie dish and set on top of the ice (this will help keep the temperature of the chocolate low enough to avoid melting). 

Once the wood begins to smoke, place the layered dishes on the main cooking grate as far away from the charcoal and wood as possible. 

Cover the grill and allow the chocolate to smoke for 30 minutes for a mild smoke flavor or 45 minutes for a stronger flavor.  Remove chips from the grill and store them in an airtight container until ready to use (note: the smoke flavor will mellow over time so storing them for several days before using is ideal).