Mini hot chocolate treats by McKinney’s and Catherine Fulvio

MAKES 400ML, 4 MINI BOTTLES

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

For the candy cane biscuits 200g plain flour

100g McKinney’s light golden sugar 80g chilled butter

½ tbsp vanilla extract

2 to 3 tbsp water

Royal icing, for decorating (optional) For the hot chocolate:

400ml milk

2 tbsp McKinney’s rich brown sugar 80g chocolate drops

100ml cream

2 tbsp McKinney’s Icing sugar 4 straws

A small snowman cutter

METHOD

Pre-heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Line a baking tray with parchment.

To prepare the biscuits, place the flour and sugar into a bowl, rub in the chilled butter until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add the vanilla extract and enough water to form a stiff dough. Wrap in plastic wrap and leave in the fridge for about 30 minutes.

Roll out on a floured surface and using a small snowman cutter, shape the biscuits and transfer to the prelined tray.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes depending on the size.

Leave on the tray to cool before transferring to a cooling rack before decorating.

If you want to decorate the snowmen, make the royal icing according to the instructions on the packaging. Spoon into a piping bag with a thin nozzle and decorate the snowmen. Leave to dry and store in a sealed container.

To make the hot chocolate, add the milk and add sugar and chocolate drops to a saucepan and warm up over a medium heat, stirring most of the time until both the sugar and chocolate are melted.

Pour the hot chocolate into a jug and pour into the bottles or glasses.

Whisk the cream until firm peaks and add the icing sugar. Spoon into a piping bag without a nozzle and pipe on top of the hot chocolate or spoon the cream over the top. Insert a straw and dust with McKinney’s icing sugar and add a snowman on top.