Grandma’s Spicy Chocolate Squares — “Never Share with Carol”

Not all of Grandma’s recipes were for cakes or pies. Some were secrets wrapped in foil, like this one. Some recipe cards carried warnings, but this one had a story. Tucked in the folds of an old church bulletin, scrawled in Grandma’s neat but determined hand, it read:

Spicy Chocolate Squares — “Never Share with Carol”

I asked her once why Carol. That’s when the family tale tumbled out, told with a twinkle in her eye and a little smugness in her smile.

Back in high school, Granddad was roped into being a “blind judge” at the county chocolate contest. Carol, his sweetheart at the time, was certain she’d win. Grandma (still “the new girl” back then) had entered with her own basket of sweets.

When the judging was done, Carol came in last. Furious, she broke up with Granddad that very day. Heartache? Hardly. He got over it quick — because it was Grandma’s chocolate that stole the prize and his heart in one bite.

That night he scraped together 50 cents and paid the ferris wheel operator to leave them stuck at the very top for twenty minutes. He swore it was the best investment he ever made, because he spent those twenty minutes eating the rest of her chocolate from the basket and falling completely in love.

Grandma’s Spicy Chocolate Squares

Ingredients

• 8 oz (225 g) dark chocolate (70% cocoa preferred)

• ½ cup sugar

• ½ tsp ground chili pepper (adjust to taste)

• ¼ tsp ground ginger

• Pinch of cinnamon (optional)

• 2 tbsp butter

Instructions

1. Melt chocolate and butter together in a heatproof bowl over simmering water.

2. Stir in sugar, chili, ginger, and cinnamon until smooth.

3. Pour into a parchment-lined baking pan.

4. Chill until firm, then cut into squares.

5. Serve with a smile — or a warning label.

💘 Grandma’s note: A square of chocolate might change the recipe — and a Ferris wheel ride might change your life. But never, ever share with Carol.