Spiced Hot Chocolate Spoons
Ever wondered what to do with that leftover Easter chocolate bunny? Or leftover Halloween chocolate? Searching for an easy last minute gift? These hot chocolate spoons will fix all of these problems.
Servings: 12 spoons
Calories: 200kcal
Ingredients
- 400 g (2 1/4 cups) leftover chocolate preferably Fairtrade
- 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- You will also need some wooden spoons or pop sticks, and an ice cube tray or other mould.
Instructions
To make the spiced hot chocolate spoons
- Mix the spices together in a small bowl.
- Scatter a scant amount of the mixed spice (about 1/8 teaspoon) into the bottom of each cavity of your chosen mould (I use an ice cube tray), and set both the remainder of the spice mix and the mould aside.
- Place the chocolate into a stainless steel or glass bowl and sit over a saucepan of simmering water. [See Note 1] If it is in large pieces (say an Easter bunny) I would chop it into smaller pieces first.
- Gently stir until the chocolate is melted.
- Spoon the melted chocolate gently over the spices in the bottom of your chosen moulds, then top up the cavity with the remainder of the melted chocolate. Be careful not to fill the mould cavities right to the top to allow room for the wooden spoon.
- Scatter the remainder of the spice mix over the top of the chocolate.
- Push a wooden spoon or popsicle stick into each cavity.
- Place the mould into the fridge or freezer until set.
- Once set, gently unmould the hot chocolate spoons.
- Gently tap off any loose spice mix. Reserve for dusting the top of your hot chocolate.
- The spoons are ready for use immediately. Store the remainder of the spoons in an airtight container until required.
To use the spiced hot chocolate spoons.
- Warm your preferred milk to just below boiling point. I do this is a saucepan but you could easily warm it in the microwave if you prefer.
- Pour the milk into your favourite mug and add the spoon.
- Let the spoon sit for 1-2 minutes, then stir the chocolate through the milk.
- Enjoy!
Notes
[1] You can also just zap the chocolate in 30 second intervals, stirring between each burst, until the chocolate is melted. I don't have great success with this method: I nearly always manage to either burn the chocolate or make it seize. This is why I do it on the stove. Use whatever method you prefer to melt the chocolate.
You can just mix the spices through the melted chocolate prior to pouring the chocolate into the moulds. I have found that this causes some types of chocolate to develop spots overnight. If you are just making these for personal use, then stir the spices into the melted chocolate. If you are giving the spoons as gifts, use the method in the recipe; it gives a fancier result.
If you don't wish to add spices, these work perfectly well as plain chocolate spoons.
I used disposable wooden spoons and sticks that I purchased at a local wedding stationary shop. Keep an eye out, they appear in the strangest places. Nice plastic spoons are an alternative if you cannot source wooden ones.
The nutrition information provided below is only for the spoons. Nutritional information will change according to the type of milk you used to make your hot chocolate.