Panini with Chocolate and Brie

I need to credit food network, my mom, and the lovely Giada de Laurentiis for this one. Not only can Giada cook, but she is absolutely gorgeous! If I had to pick one chef to be in a foxhole with it would be a tossup between her and Alton Brown.

A few nights ago my mom tells me about this panini Giada is making. Brie, semisweet chocolate chips, and basil (not sweet basil but it may be worth trying). I love all of those things, but together?!? I was skeptical. Brie is great, one of my favorite cheeses, but not so easy on a college budget, especially if its for a more experimental purpose. Luckily, there was a ton left over from a reception I was working after a concert. There was snow and a lot of cancellations, hence lots of cheese left over for us scavengers in the houses close to the PAC. I grabbed some and stashed it in my fridge until I got some good bread and fresh basil.

The recipe (Panini) calls for a panini grill but I don't have such appliance in my kitchen. Instead I used a heavy skillet under medium high heat and applied pressure with a pot filled with cereal bowls. Necessity is the mother of invention. I didn't get grill marks but the bread did brown nicely and everything was all squished together.

The verdict: WOW! Unique taste. Just when you thought brie and chocolate were rich and creamy enough, putting them together gave such a velvety texture. The crunchy bread was a nice contrast. Definitely a repeat. I would use a little less chocolate chips. I never saw Giada make them so perhaps I couldn't eyeball it properly. I figure for each ounce of cheese, use 3 or 4 chocolate chips. I think there was a little too much chocolate for some more subtle and complex flavors to come through. It definitely masked the basil, but here and there through the panini where there was less chocolate per bite, there was a really nice balance. Could try it next with sweet basil as well.
Wish I had my own pictures for this one. Damn camera.