while stalking around the internet late one night
i came across this
a great website with darling and wonderful ideas
i knew immediately that I wanted to make these
and today i found the time
which is silly
that i thought i needed to put aside time
because these are so very easy
and yet
so delightful
here's a gift idea
make some of these
and a batch of marshmallows
add a quart of milk in a bottle
and a couple of festive mugs
or not
and some christmas carols downloaded from here
and you have a really nice gift
that is also practical
because
you can't drink diamonds
8 oz good bittersweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
pinch of salt
-sift the powdered sugar, cocoa powder and salt. In a bowl over a double boiler melt the chocolate (for precise instructions click here). It is important not to let the chocolate get too hot. It should be JUST melted--and not piping hot. Remove the bowl of chocolate well before the chocolate is completely melted. This is important. What you are trying to do is keep the chocolate in "temper"--this will allow it to harden with a nice sheen--as well as easily pop out of whatever mold you will be using.
Add the sifted ingredients to the melted chocolate and stir until it is incorporated and has a nice sheen.
Use a pastry bag or spoon into your mold of choice.
I used a silicon canele mold...but you can use ice cube trays, shot glasses, tartlet tins, mini-muffin pans...lots of things.
Use anything you want for the stick...i used mini candy canes, but you can use spoons, lolly sticks, cinnamon sticks, fun vintage plastic stir sticks, funky skewers...
One cocoa on a stick will turn a steaming mug of milk
into a delicious chocolate mustache-forming mug of cocoa
top with homemade marshmallows
and enter
a place i like to call bliss
where diamonds
are
just another unnecessary extravagance