Hot Chocolate is a favorite drink in our house during the winter, especially on snowy days like we’re having today. We will drink all kinds of hot cocoa, from the cheap Nestle and Swiss Miss, to the gourmet Ghirardelli. We love it in all forms.
I think I have found my favorite hot chocolate option in this recipe, Hot Chocolate on a Stick. It is such a great perk that these will keep in a sealed container for one year, and all I have to do is warm up some milk or cream, and stir in my stick. It’s a creamy, chocolaty treat…no marshmallows needed!
To celebrate Valentine’s Day, I made heart shaped cocoas and will be giving them as gifts. Just pick up this Wilton 12-cavity heart mold (hint: it’s only $9.99 at Target and will probably be discounted after V-day). The rest of the batch I made in regular ice cube trays, which also work out perfectly. There is no need to line the mold with plastic wrap, or spray them with anything. The chocolate easily pops out of the tray when hardened.
Pick up some favor bags at your local craft store and wrap the chocolate sticks individually to give them away for Valentine’s Day. They are also the perfect addition to your holiday gift basket this coming year. It’s never too late to plan ahead!
Hot Chocolate on a Stick
Yield: 8-10 cubes of chocolate (ice cube tray size)
Equipment:
Ziplock bags or piping bags
A double boiler or pan with a glass bowl that can sit over the simmering water
Chocolate mold of choice (ice trays work perfectly)
Wooden craft sticks
Ingredients:
8 oz good chocolate (Do not use chocolate chips. I used semi-sweet, but bittersweet, milk and white chocolate will also work well. Fondue chips work perfectly as do baking bars.)
1/4 cup cocoa, sifted
1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted
pinch of salt
Directions:
Mix the sifted cocoa, powdered sugar and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
If your chocolate is in a block, chop it into even-sized pieces. Simmer a couple inches of water in a pan on low heat. Place a glass or stainless steel bowl over the top to make a double boiler. Dump chocolate into the clean, dry bowl and stir constantly as the chocolate melts. Let the chocolate melt slowly, as this will give it a better look once cooled.
When the chocolate is 2/3 melted, remove the bowl from the pan, dry the bottom with a towel and continue stirring until chocolate is fully melted. This will help keep the chocolate from getting too hot.
Gradually add the cocoa, sugar and salt mixture. Stir until fully combined and is like a thick frosting. If it is grainy and difficult to stir, it is possible you accidentally dropped water into the bowl.
Scoop chocolate into a ziplock bag or piping bag. Clip the corner of the bag.
Pipe the chocolate into your chocolate mold, filling to the top. Tap the mold on the counter to make sure all the chocolate settles into the mold. Add a stir stick to the center of each mold.
Let the chocolate cool at room temperature. (It does not take long.)
Pop the chocolate out of the mold and store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to one year if using dark chocolate, or up to several months if using milk or white chocolate.
To enjoy: Use 1 oz hot chocolate on a stick per every 1 cup milk or cream. A standard block in an ice cube tray is 3/4 ounce, so you would use 3/4 cup milk or cream. Heat the milk or cream and stir in the chocolate until fully melted.
Source: Adapted from Giver’s Log
Filed under: Chocolate, Drinks | Tagged: Hot Chocolate, Valentine's Day, Winter Drinks
Awwww! These look so adorable! I love the heart shapes.
You have a typo in the chocolate-to-milk ratio at the bottom. But thanks to you, I just ate all 5 of the Hershey’s kisses I had leftover from Christmas. Those pictures are killing me.
Sheri – Thank you!! Duh! Yes, typo was there and I corrected it thanks to you.
Here we get them in the shops, but i am sure these taste far better. I am bookmarking them.
Heh, that’s cute. Great idea!
Oh how cute! They’re so pretty!
These are adorable. They sound incredible too! It might be too late for me to get these done for Valentine’s day, but I will be saving this recipe for future gifts. I love hot chocolate!
oh love this idea!!
WHAT A CUTE BLOG!!! And this is such a great idea! I love hot chocolate and have always wanted to try this!
[...] Valentine’s Hot Chocolate on a Stick from Pennies on a [...]
[...] You can find neat versions of hot chocolate on a spoon/ stick for example here with marshmallows, here in heart shape, and here with sprinkles and more sprinkles. That’s what I like about the blogging network: a [...]