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Friday, December 14, 2012

Frugal Fridays: #3 MYO Gifts- Hot Chocolate on a STICK!!

Crazy notion ... EXTREMELY tasty!!!

Once I saw this here and here  & instantly I KNEW I was making them this year as Christmas Gifts!!  I just might make it for Valentine's Day too!! 

After I reviewed the ingredients and instructions I realize I have made a VERY similar fudge years ago, called triple chocolate fudge using bittersweet, milk chocolate, and semi-sweet. 



And I remember when I made a mistake with the temperature and timing, this fudge never set up right, so we added it to warmed milk and it was sooooo awesome we laughingly said I just made up the 1,000 calorie to die for hot chocolate!! LOL!!! Why didn't I think of doing this?? (Ohh yeah that's right, they never set up...)

I am telling you these are really, 

 REALLY,  REALLY 

R. E. A. L. L. Y

GOOD!!


The homemade marshmallows might seem like such a FUSSY affair, and originally I thought so too and bought "back up GIANT marshmallows" just in case this doesn't turn out. So far I don't think so, I haven't tried cutting them yet, but I can tell you so far it isn't as fussy or
 involved as I thought at first.  


It is quite gratifying to make them and the taste, uhmmm, well I gave the beaters to my husband and daughter and 
they are still licking them 20 minutes later, 
saying, "Hmmmmm, hmmmmm, hmmm!" 
I think I will be making these marshmallows again & again b/c
store bought DOES NOT compare


I LOVE these!!

You do have to account for "setting up" time-- so a little planning before hand and about 90 minutes of your time to make the marshmallows and fudge plus clean up time...but that is all then, my friend...  you are sooooo there

Your friends will think you are the MOST AWESOME Betty
Crocker-y girl EVER, your kids will think you are the best, and you will sit back and marvel at your adorable little creations all lined with pride and satisfaction just envisioning the excited recipients plopping these little bad boys in mug full of steamy milk, & sipping on the...

BEST EVER Hot chocolate !!


Then you wake up, 'cuz no one but you cleans anything around this place and somehow you and your cabinets are covered in all three of those chocolates, your daughter has decided to let the dog lick the marshmallow beater and it's now stuck in her 100lbs of Chow-Chow/Akita fur.... Ohhh that's just my house... Carrying On~ Enjoy the recipe & my delusions!! Please let me know if you have tried it!! :-)


HOT CHOCOLATE ON A STICK

Hot Chocolate:
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
    1 14 oz. can of sweetened condensed milk  
  • 3 cups  chocolate (I used 1 Cup 60% cacao bittersweet CHIPS, 1 Cup Milk Chocolate chips, plus 8 oz semi-sweet chocolate chopped )
    4 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped (I used a 4 oz. bar, chopped) 
  • 1 Vanilla Bean, seeds scraped or 1 t GOOD vanilla
  • unbleached parchment paper
  • 8X8" square baking pan
  • Lollipop sticks, cellophane treat wrappers, ribbon
 --------------------
  1.  1. Heat the heavy cream, Vanilla Bean Pod and Seeds,  PLUS the sweetened condensed milk over medium heat in a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a slight boil.

  1. Remove the milk mixture from the heat and add the chocolate. 
  2. Stir just until the ingredients begin to come together and then let sit for 10 minutes.
  3. Place the saucepan back over medium-low heat and begin to whisk until all of the chocolate is melted and the mixture is shiny.
  4. Pour the chocolate into an 8x8 inch square pan that has been lined with parchment paper. Smooth the mixture into an even layer and let sit for at least 12 hours, or overnight.
5. When you're ready to assemble the hot chocolate on a stick, remove the chocolate block from the pan. Turn it face-side down on a flat surface and cut the chocolate into 36 pieces  (6 lines by 6 lines). 


I try to use as little chemicals as possible & my treats are no different- this is unbleached parchment paper I found it here.


A couple tips when you cut these: 
  • Use a CLEAN knife with serrated edges, HEAT the knife in a cup of HOT water for a few minutes, 
  • WIPE dry with a towel or paper towel, 
  • MAKE a few cuts, REPEAT the knife-heating procedure.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 Homemade Marshmallows:
 3 packages unflavored gelatin
1 cup cold water, divided
1 1/2 cups GRANULATED Sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. CLEAR vanilla
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
Nonstick cooking spray 

THE original instructions were set up for people that have those fancy-smancy stand mixers. I, being one of those people who hasn't acquired one yet nor have any room for it, modified the instructions to suit those with hand held mixers. 

Plus though I am not a fan of artificial flavorings, I opted for pure visual art and chose to use CLEAR vanilla. I don't know if it is availble in pure all I have seen is imitation vanilla. I wanted CRISP white and the homemade extract I have would have made the marshmallows more ecru'ish...


1. Put the gelatin and a 1/2 cup of the water into a large steel or glass HEAT-PROOF bowl. Have mixer set up and ready to go but, DON'T MIX yet-simply allow the gelatin to absorb the water.
2. Combine the powdered sugar and cornstarch in a bowl & prepare a 9x13 baking pan by spraying it with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle the cornstarch mixture on the baking pan and move the pan around until the entire pan is coated in the mixture. Shake any excess back into the bowl. Set aside until needed.
3. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the remaining 1/2 cup of water, sugar, corn syrup, and salt. Heat
ingredients over medium high heat for 3-4 minutes until boiling-while covered.

4. Uncover the pot, clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pan, and cook the mixture until it reaches exactly 240 degrees/soft ball stage for you candy nazis out there. (this took about 12-13
 minutes) Once temperature is reached, immediately remove the pan from the heat.
Mixture first looks like this...
5. Turn the mixer on low speed and slowly add the sugar syrup to the mixer. (Be careful...it is VERY HOT!) Once all syrup has been added to the mixer, turn the mixer to high 

Then will become VERY THICK!!


6. Beat the marshmallow mixture for 10-12 minutes, or until the mixture turns white, is very thick, and is no longer hot. Add the vanilla and whisk for 1 more minute.




 

7. Pour the marshmallow mixture into the prepared pan, smoothing it into an even layer. Dust the top with the remaining cornstarch mixture. 





8. Let the marshmallows sit, uncovered, for at least four hours, or up to overnight.
9. Once marshmallows have rested, turn them out onto a flat surface that has been coated with more of the cornstarch mixture. Using a pizza cutter (that has also been coated with some of the cornstarch mixture), cut the marshmallows into 1 inch squares. 

10. After they are cut, coat the marshmallows with remaining cornstarch mixture so that all sides are coated. Set marshmallows aside for hot chocolate on a stick assembly.


Place one piece of fudge and one marshmallow onto each lollipop stick. Wrap each stick in a cellophane treat wrapper and tie with a ribbon. Feel free to attach instructions for the hot chocolate on a stick when giving as a gift.  

Instructions:
*"Swirl & melt the chocolate and marshmallow stick in 4 - 6 ounces of warm-hot steamy milk, (depending on how ‘chocolatey’ you like it!)

{Original instructions say "4-6 oz" of milk but honestly I didn't really tasted the chocolate flavor until I used 3! I I say 4 ounces, like a regular small coffee cup, like a cappuccino size mug NOT a huge monster size latte mug. But then again I ended up with over 50 of these, so- Oops I cut more than 36...perhaps that was the issue?? }

*Or click here ~~ all the work has been done for you, at least the tags anyways....From Make & Takes Blog: Here is FREE printable instruction TAGS!! all organized looking and stuff-- all you have to do is download & print from this sight.      
 

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