Chocolate Dessert Chimi’s

Who doesn’t love a chimichanga? And who knew it could make such a tasty dessert? I have prepared several versions of a dessert chimi, but I had never covered them in chocolate before! Wow! I filled it with fresh strawberries, sweet cream cheese, dark chocolate, and dulce de leche. All my favorites rolled up in one. When my husband and I tested the first one, because we had to make sure they were edible, I instantly had this big grin on my face! I grew up loving these snack cakes from Mexico, “Gansitos,” and these chimis were almost exactly the same. Ahhhhh… love is in the air!

Ingredients

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
5 tablespoons powdered sugar
4 ounces dulce de leche
1 cup dark chocolate chips
1½ cups strawberries, diced
12 6-inch flour tortillas
2½ to 3 cups canola oil
2 pounds dark chocolate wafers for melting

You will also need:
Wax paper
2 disposable piping bags
Toothpicks
Assorted toppings, such as toasted coconut, toffee bits, colored crystal sugar, toasted almonds, or candy sprinkles.

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese, vanilla, and lemon juice, whisk together. Gradually add in the powdered sugar, add more if too tart. Transfer to piping bag and keep chilled until ready to use. Add the dulce de leche to second piping bag; set aside.

2. Take three tortillas and wrap in paper towels. Heat for just 10 to 15 seconds in microwave, just to soften slightly. In each tortilla pipe in a 2-inch line of cream cheese, then dulce de leche, add a few chocolate chips and diced strawberries. Tuck in the sides, then roll as tight as you can,without squeezing too hard, secure with 2 toothpicks. Repeat with remaining tortillas until they are all filled.

3. Preheat canola oil in a medium skillet, at medium heat, for 5 to 6 minutes. Line a cookie sheet with some paper towels and keep close by. Carefully add three or four chimis to hot oil. They cook quickly, turn to brown all sides. If they get dark too fast, turn down heat slightly. Drain onto paper towels. Cool completely before dipping into chocolate. Line another cookie sheet with wax paper, set aside.

4. Add 1 pound of chocolate wafers to a glass bowl. Heat in microwave for 30 seconds, stirring, then cook for another 30 seconds. Stir until smooth, if needed cook for another 10 seconds, always stirring in between. Lay 1 chimi into the melted chocolate, and using 2 forks, roll it gently until evenly coated. Remove from chocolate and place onto wax paper, sprinkle with your favorite toppings while chocolate is still wet. Halfway through, you may need to melt more chocolate wafers. Cool completely before handling.

Variation: Another way to finish the chimi’s is to roll in them in cinnamon and sugar while they are still slightly warm, then just drizzle with a little melted chocolate.