If there's anything I love more than receiving foodie gifts, it's giving them. One of my best friends from high school S was leaving the sunny shores of Sydney for the rainy ones of London to study music (and become a famous violinist) so I tried to think of an appropriate going away gift for her.
I knew she loved chocolate and I know on those cold, gloomy days, nothing cheers me up more than a steaming mug of hot chocolate. So after doing some research on the internet about how to make a hot chocolate able to be transported internationally, I came across this brilliant idea on the Giver's Log - hot chocolate on a stick.
It was easy and simple to make - the key to getting a luscious, chocolatey hot chocolate is making sure you use good quality ingredients. This means using real chocolate that is high in cocoa butter and using good quality cocoa powder. The hardest part of this recipe was melting the chocolate at a low enough temperature to keep it 'in temper'; it's tempting to want to crank up the heat to melt it quicker but a bit of patience will give you smooth, shiny chocolate.
I made my hot chocolates on a stick in the shape of strawberries and penguins thanks to the silicon ice cube moulds that I received from Billy, Karen and Steph for my birthday earlier this year. I couldn't resist trying one and it was great - the chocolate melted nicely in the hot milk and it tasted like real chocolate, not that overly sweet powdered stuff. Since I used dark chocolate and S likes it sweet, I dipped some of them in white chocolate as well to make it a bit sweeter and wrapped them up individually for her to take to the UK. Hope you like them S!
Hot Chocolate on a Stick
recipe adapted from the Giver's Log
250g good quality chocolate (I used 70% dark chocolate)
42g (1/4 cup) cocoa powder, sifted
64g (1/2 cup) icing sugar, sifted
1. Bring a small pot of water to a simmer, and place a glass or stainless steel bowl on top to make a double boiler. Melt chocolate over the double boiler until 2/3 melted, then take the bowl of chocolate off and stir to melt the remaining pieces. It is important that you don't get any water in the chocolate otherwise it will 'seize'. If you want the chocolate to stay 'in temper', use a thermometer and do not let the temperature rise above 32ºC.
2. Once the chocolate is melted, sift the cocoa powder and icing sugar into the chocolate and stir. The mixture will become very thick but keep stirring until it becomes shiny again and there are no more visible bits of cocoa or sugar. If the mixture is way too thick to handle then you can put it back onto the pot of hot water to loosen it up a bit.
3. Using two teaspoons or a piping bag, place the chocolate mixture into your moulds, making sure you don't overfill them. The mixture is sticky so it may be difficult to smooth out the top - try rapping the mould onto the countertop a few times. Stick the paddle pop into the chocolate (it should stay up by itself) and allow the chocolate to cool at room temperature. Dip in more chocolate or chocolate melts if desired, or enjoy by stirring the stick in a mug of hot milk.
Welcome to Penguin says Feed Me!, a blog that documents the gastronomic adventures of one small penguin as she explores the culinary world in Sydney and beyond.
OMG! So cute! Such a wonderful idea. I'm so making these for a friend who is in need of some cheering up. As I got to the 3rd picture, a light bulb struck me and I thought "Oh... it's a penguin!" CUTE!
nice one! and wheres mine? ;p
you finally use the penguine ice mould i gave you! They are so cute! The crossed eyes one didnt come out alright?
nawww your choc penguins on a stick are so cute! what a great gift idea!
Aww the penguins are too cute! So happy to see our strawberry moulds were useful :D Everything is so much cuter on a stick!
That is a very cool idea. It is so elegant and a sweet little gift. I feel like a hot chocolate now.
What a good friend you are and the penguins are so cute! These would have been really good getting us through winter when you feel even too lazy to melt some decent chocolate in the microwave with milk. Nuking milk takes no time at all, win!
The silicone ice cubes sure came in handy! I love the penguin especially. Such a great idea to use chocolate this way - I am sure the hot chocolate drink is much thicker and more delicious because of it.
Haha they're so cute!
I added your post to my sweet saturday sharing list - they were way too cute not to share. Check it out! http://ksayerphotography.blogspot.com/2010/09/sweet-saturday-sharing-time.html
Chocolate penguins! And there is definitely always something special about food gifts =)
aww thats such a cute and sweet gift to your friend! I was about to give my friend a macaron bouquet for her birthday but my so called 'macarons' failed to the max so i'll just secretly gobble them up at home.
Hi Phuoc - hehe thanks! the penguins are my favourite too but I'm keen to get more silicon ice cube trays to make different shapes as well!
Hi Yas - Er... I'll make you some more for next time I see you? hehe
Hi billy - Yes, thanks so much for the penguin moulds! I didn't have quite enough chocolate to make the cross-eyed ones hehe but I will make sure I make those first next time!
Hi chocolatesuze - Thanks!
Hi Mark - They're quite handy, I still have a few in an airtight container and whenever I feel like it I just heat up some milk and pop it into the mug = awesome hot chocolate within minutes!
Hi YaYa - Aww thanks :) Yep, I'll definitely be making another batch when the temperatures start dropping again!
Hi Trissa - I love the silicone ice cube trays, it makes popping things out of the moulds so much easier!
Hi Maria - Thanks so much!
Hi Kristy - Thanks for checking out my post and adding it to yours!
Hi mademoiselle délicieuse - hehe what foodie doesn't like food gifts?
Hi sugarpuffi - ooh a macaron bouquet sounds amazing! now that would be an awesome gift!