Delicious Summertime Dessert

My dear friend Michael Hawley gave me this delicious recipe. He is a fellow "cooker and cocktailer". Watermelon & Chocolate Ingredients: 1 medium seedless watermelon 1 cup fresh lemon juice 3/4 cup brandy 3 or 4 tbsp sugar. 1/2 to 3/4 pound of good dark chocolate Several hours before serving... In a large bowl, add the sugar in the mixture of brandy and lemon juice and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Cut up watermelon into large, bite-sized chunks (large because the watermelon will break down a bit). Place the melon chunks in the bowl with the lemon mixture and stir to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and stick it in the fridge. Stir a few times over the hours.

Melt chocolate in a heavy saucepan over low heat. I think a double boiler would work well, but I just put my heavy saucepan into a deep skillet of water. It makes the chocolate melt evenly without cooking or sticking.

Pour about 1/3 of the chocolate onto the backs of each of 3 cookie sheets or large glass lasagna dishes i.e. divide the chocolate over 3 metal or glass surfaces. Depending on how much chocolate you've melted, you may only need 2 sheets. Use a spatula to spread the chocolate evenly and thinly over the back of the sheets. (I use the back because when I used the cookie side, I scraped off some of the teflon). Place the sheets in a cool place (not the fridge) for about 20 minutes or until the chocolate has cooled and set. Press and slide/scrape a flat implement along the chocolate to scape it into curls (I use one of those flat cheese knives). The chocolate curls right up or makes ribbons -- again, it doesn't have to be exact or perfect. Place these curls lightly into a bowl and stick the bowl in the fridge until your ready to serve.

To serve: Spoon the melon and some juice into small bowls, and throw a few curls of chocolate onto each.