By now, you have probably already heard of hot chocolate bombs, and maybe have even read my post about them. Although they are fun to make they do require a few supplies and techniques that make them a bit more of an ordeal. However, chocolate stir sticks are able to be made within an hour with materials already in your kitchen!
The idea for these hot chocolate stir sticks came to me when I saw these hot chocolate stirring spoons that Trader Joe’s is selling. As always, I thought they looked kind of lame and that I could do a lot better. Not to sound too braggy, but I did.
My hot chocolate stir sticks are basically a block of solid chocolate with a candy cane stuck into them to use as a stir stick. Explaining it like that sounds pretty underwhelming but thats because its a really easy process! To use one of these stir sticks, use the candy cane as a handle to stir the solid chocolate into a cup of hot milk and watch it dissolve. The result is a thick and rich peppermint hot chocolate, perfect for the holidays!
Sure, anyone can use hot chocolate powder to quickly make a cup of hot cocoa but making hot chocolate by melting real chocolate into hot milk completely changes the game. Trust me when I say that you will never look at powdered hot chocolate the same again.
The best part is you can control the flavour of your hot chocolate by choosing which chocolate to use. If you prefer less sweetness, you can use dark or semi sweet chocolate. I love all things sugar and candy so I opted for milk chocolate with a bit of white chocolate drizzle.
Ideally, I wanted to use a silicone ice cube tray for this project but 1) did not have one and 2) wanted this recipe to be accessible and doable for everyone while using materials that are already in most kitchens! What you’re gonna need to do for this is pour melted chocolate into a lined cupcake tin, cover with marshmallows and and wait for it to get a bit tacky before you stick in a large candy cane. Then you are left to either remove them from the cupcake liners or take them out and decorate them however you like!
These will last for quite some time, probably a month if stored in the right conditions. I store mine in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap so that the marshmallows don’t go stale. This is a fun treat to give away to friends or make with kids. I personally made these at 10pm after a final exam but that is because I am a struggling university student. To each their own, right?
Here’s the recipe!
Hot Chocolate Stir Sticks
Equipment
- Large muffin pan
Ingredients
- 4 cups chocolate melts or chips
- 12 large candy canes
- 1/2 cup marshmallows
- extra chocolate for drizzle optional
Instructions
- Line a large muffin pan with muffin/cupcake liners.
- Put 4 cups of chocolate into a microwave bowl and microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring between each one until the chocolate is fully melted.
- Divide the melted chocolate amongst 12 cupcake tins. Sprinkle with marshmallows and set in the fridge to stiffen slightly, about 5-7 minutes. Keep an eye on it so that it doesn't completely solidify.
- One the chocolate is hard enough to insert a candy cane into so that it stands up straight, poke in the large candy canes into the center of the chocolate filled muffin tins.
- Once all the candy canes are inserted, put the muffin pan back in the fridge to solidify the chocolate all the way through.
- Once the chocolate is completely solid, decorate the stir sticks. Remove them from the muffin liners and drizzle with more chocolate.
- Store at room temperature in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap.
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