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

● ½tsp 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 3½hr.

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.