DELUXE HOT CHOCOLATE BOMBS PRETTY PETAL-PATTERNED BISCUITS

If you want to make something special, these sweet treats – designed to be stirred into a cup of warm milk to make a tasty hot chocolate – will be ideal. Cellophane-wrap three together for an indulgent gift.

YOU WILL NEED:

● Piping bags

● New paint brushes

● 150g milk chocolate

● Mini marshallows ● Dr Oetker rose gold blush sprinkles

● Silicone sphere moulder, around 5cm diameter

● Hot chocolate powder

STEP ONE Divide 150g chocolate into three bowls (50g each). Melt one of the bowls of chocolate in the microwave using short, 15-second intervals. Stir after each interval and make sure it’s glossy and completely melted. STEP TWO Pour spoonfuls of melted chocolate into the mould and then spread it around the sides using a paintbrush – make sure you go right up to the edge. Put in the fridge to set for 15 mins and then repeat with another layer of chocolate (one of the

50g set-aside bowls) using the same method to create a round “shell”.

STEP THREE Once fully set, carefully pop the halves out of the moulds. Turn over your mould and use that to hold the half-spheres ready for filling. STEP FOUR Add the filling to half the spheres. The amount you use is down to taste, but remember that all the chocolate from the sphere will be used to flavour the drink. Perhaps try one teaspoon of hot chocolate powder per sphere, then top with a few mini marshmallows.

STEP FIVE Melt the last 50g of chocolate and spoon it into a disposable piping bag. Twist the open end to close it, snip off the point and then pipe a sliver of chocolate around the rim of the filled sphere. Place another sphere on top.

STEP SIX Working quickly to avoid handling the chocolate too much, dip the bomb into a shallow dish of sprinkles to cover the joins. Refrigerate until set.

These biscuits look lovely and a box of them will work as a perfect gift for teachers or a tasty addition to a food hamper. They look the part but are simple to create.

YOU WILL NEED: ● 120g unsalted butter ● 50g caster sugar ● 200g plain flour ● Elderflower extract ● 1 egg

● Edible flowers UTENSILS:

● Cookie cutter

● Mixing bowl ● Non-stick oven tray ● Baking paper

● Pastry brush

STEP ONE Combine the butter and sugar in your mixing bowl until well combined and creamy.

STEP TWO Stir in the sieved flour and mix together to create breadcrumbs, then add in a couple of drops of elderflower flavouring.

STEP THREE Tip the mixture onto a surface and work it together, kneading it into a dough. Wrap in cling film and chill for 20 mins. Preheat your oven to 200°C.

STEP FOUR Roll the dough out, on a lightly floured surface, to the thickness of a £1 coin. Using a cutter, cut out biscuit shapes and pop onto a lined baking tray.

STEP FIVE Bake in the oven for 7 mins in the middle shelf, before removing and brushing the top with egg white using a pastry brush. Then place the edible flowers on top, sprinkle with some extra caster sugar, and bake for another 6 mins or until lightly golden. Allow the biscuits to cool.