Although the term chocolate sandwich is sometimes used to refer to a type of cookie with filling in the center, it usually means a grilled or fried bread dessert. Made much like a grilled cheese sandwich, only with chocolate placed between the two bread slices, it's a warm, gooey dessert. There are many possible variations of a chocolate sandwich.
For example, many different types of bread can be used, from white, whole wheat, French or Italian to raisin or cinnamon varieties. Some people even like to make chocolate sandwiches with bagels, biscuits, Kaiser rolls or croissants. The chocolate may be of many different kinds too, although it should be in a sliced form rather than small chips or chunks. Otherwise, the small pieces are likely to fall out when out when the chocolate sandwich needs to be turned over in the pan with a spatula to its other side. A frying pan on the stove or an electric griddle may be used to heat and brown chocolate sandwiches.
Before grilling or frying, two slices of bread are buttered on one side. The chocolate must be placed between the unbuttered sides of the bread slices in as large as slabs as possible, without being either too thick or right to the edge of the crusts. At this point, other filling items may be added to create a variation on the basic chocolate sandwich. Some people like to add a layer of marshmallows which makes the dessert similar to the popular camping treat S'mores, which features pieces of chocolate and marshmallows sandwiched between two graham wafers before being heated over a campfire.
Peanut butter, candy bar slices and chopped caramels are other possible additions to a grilled or fried chocolate sandwich. Once heated, the sandwich is often too messy to eat with the hands. Chocolate sandwiches may be eaten using a knife and fork. Some people also like to use a spoon if they top the dessert sandwich with a scoop of ice cream. For this variation, ice cream toppings such as chocolate, caramel or butterscotch, plus chopped nuts may also be added to the chocolate fried sandwich.
Some people like to eat a chocolate sandwich without toppings for a weekend brunch or snack rather than a dessert. When grilling or frying the sandwiches, it's usually best to use lower heat so as not to overmelt the chocolate and cause it to leak out into the pan. The pan can then be turned off and the lid left covering the sandwich until the chocolate melts.