Hot Chocolate Stirrers

These make great gifts for a chocolate lover; simply stir 1 or 2 into a mug of warm milk. We’ve shared some flavour ideas below, but you can let your creativity run wild.

Hands-on time 45min, plus chilling. Cooking time about 15min. Makes 25

FOR THE WHITE AND MILK CHOCOLATE
100g white chocolate, chopped

10g freeze-dried raspberry pieces

200g milk chocolate, chopped

30g mint chocolate biscuits, broken into small pieces

2tbsp strong espresso, cooled

15 mini marshmallows

FOR THE DARK CHOCOLATE

140g dark chocolate, chopped

30g salted caramel sauce

1⁄2tsp flaked sea salt

25g mini fudge pieces

30g smooth peanut butter

25g mini honeycomb pieces

YOU WILL ALSO NEED

Sunflower oil, to grease

Wooden lolly sticks and/or candy canes

1 Lightly grease 2 silicone ice-cube trays with sunflower oil.

2 FOR THE WHITE CHOCOLATE STIRRERS, melt the white chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. Remove from the heat and gently stir until smooth. Stir in most of the raspberry pieces, saving some for the garnish.

3 Divide equally between 5 ice-cube tray holes. Sprinkle over the reserved raspberries. Chill for 30min, until starting to set, then insert a lolly stick in the middle of each and return to fridge until completely set; about 31⁄2hr.

4 FOR THE MILK CHOCOLATE STIRRERS, repeat steps 2 and 3 with 100g milk chocolate, stirring in most of the mint chocolate biscuits when melted (use the remainder for the garnish) and using candy canes in place of lolly sticks, if you like.

5 Repeat steps 2 and 3 with the remaining 100g milk chocolate and the espresso, melting them together, then garnishing with the marshmallows.

6 FOR THE DARK CHOCOLATE STIRRERS, repeat steps 2 and 3 with 70g dark chocolate, stirring in all the caramel sauce and sea salt and most of the fudge pieces when melted (use the remainder for garnish).

7 Repeat steps 2 and 3 with remaining 70g dark chocolate, stirring in all the peanut butter and most of the honeycomb pieces (use remaining for garnish).

8 Once all the stirrers are set, carefully remove from tray. Stir into hot milk to serve.

PER STIRRER 127cals, 2g protein, 7g fat (4g saturates), 15g carbs (14g total sugars), <1g fibre

TO STORE Store in an airtight container at cool room temperature, or in the fridge, for up to a week.

TO GIFT Pack into cellophane bags and tie with a ribbon and tag.