How Tuesday - Chocolate Dipped Spoons

Stir a little sweetness into a cup of coffee or cocoa with a seasonal spoon.  I love making chocolate spoons.  They make great favors, wonderful gifts and they are fun to use.

For Halloween they can be decorated to be ghosts, spider webs or other spooky creatures and for Christmas or Hanukkah they can be sprinkled with colored sugar in appropriate colors.

Candied Spoons

12 oz. pkg semi sweet chocolate chips

2 tsp coconut oil
35 to 45 plastic spoons (you can use white, black, gold or silver or a mixture)
Candies, nonpareils and colored sugar for garnish

Line baking sheets with parchment paper and place a couple of round handled spoons in the middle of the baking sheet.

Place chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl and microwave on medium for 30 seconds.  Stir to be sure all the chips have melted.  Add shortening to thin chocolate and stir gently.

Dip each spoon into chocolate mixture to cover the bowl of the spoon.  Place on parchment paper with the bowl edge resting on handle of wooden spoon to keep it above the paper.

After chocolate begins to harden, but is still soft add sprinkles of colored sugar, mini chips or other decorations to the chocolate.

Once chocolate has hardened (which will take some time), wrap each spoon with cellophane or a small plastic bag.

Alternates: Use white chocolate and add two mini semi-sweet chips for eyes to make ghosts, or sprinkle with blue sugar for a Hanukkah treat. Use a large marshmallow on a stick instead of a spoon for the perfect cocoa stir.

Decorate with tags and ribbon for favors and gifts.

Wrap each spoon in cellophane and place in a mug to display.

Tie them with ribbon to a package of hot cocoa or coffee to make a teacher or friend gift.

Hot Cocoa and Chocolate Shortbread

Happy Monday -

It snowed Yesterday!  I have been waiting for it to snow this year!  It started around 10 am and was still coming down heavily at 2 in the afternoon!  I was out taking pictures and enjoying the muffled quiet that comes with snow falling and just getting myself in the spirit of the season.

I have many orders to make and a show on December 10 and my open house on December 11, both of which should have many visitors browsing so I have lots things to do, but I had to take a break and enjoy the snow!

And just to get you thinking about the outdoors and cocoa here is a chocolate shortbread recipe:

Chocolate Shortbread
This goes well with hot cocoa!

1 cup flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 Tbls. cocoa powder
1/2 cup softened butter

Directions:
Cream the butter.  Then add the entire package of Shortbread Mix and work in. Knead the resulting dough on an unfloured surface until nice and smooth.  Firmly press the dough, working from the center out into an oiled pan.  Prick the surface with a fork all over . Bake at 325 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes.

Holiday Beverages to serve and give as gifts

Prepping for the Holiday Series

We sometimes forget that the best way to communicate the season is through beverages and scents and what better way than with hot beverages.  And these make great gifts too.  You can make seasoning blends for cider, herbal teas or seasoned hot chocolate.

Spiced Lemon Tea Mix

½ cup lemon herbs (lemon thyme, lemon balm, lemon verbena)

1 Tbls. lemon peel

1 Tbls. ginger

2 tsp. allspice

2 tsp. cloves

Blend all ingredients together. Store in a sealed jar.

To use: add 1 to 2 tsp. per cup of boiling water.

Hot Buttered Rum Mix

2 ½ cups brown sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. cloves

½ tsp. salt

1 stick real butter (unsalted room temperature)

Mix brown sugar and spices in a large bowl.  Cut the butter into 4 pieces.  Mix into the sugar well with a spoon or electric mixer.  Place in a plastic container with a tight lid and store in the refrigerator.

To use: Place 1 to 2 tsp. mix in a mug. Add ½ to 1 jigger rum.  Fill mug with boiling water.  Serve with a cinnamon stick or a Tablespoon of ice cream.  Mix will keep indefinitely in the refrigerator.

Alternative use: For mulled wine or hot apple cider place 1 tsp. mix in a mug.  Add 1 cup red wine or apple cider.  Heat in microwave for 1 minute.  (You can simmer larger quantities on the stove.)

Cheating Cider Simmer

¼ cup powdered (sugar-free) lemonade mix

¼ cup sugar

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. nutmeg

You can layer the ingredients in a jar or mix together before placing in jar. (If layering you must include instructions to shake well before using.). 

For decoration tie a cinnamon stick to the package.

To use: stir 1 tsp. of mixture into 1 cup hot apple juice, hot cranberry juice or hot cider.

Lavender Hot Chocolate

You can give this one for the winter holidays or save it for Valentine’s Day.

2 tsp. dried lavender buds

1 ounce bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1 Tbls. Dutch process cocoa powder

2 Tbls. sugar

1/8 tsp. Kosher salt

Blend cocoa powder, sugar and salt together.  Package the lavender and bittersweet chocolate separate.  Place all items in a decorative container. 

To use:

3 cups whole milk or half & half

½ tsp. vanilla extract

Pour milk into a medium saucepan and stir in lavender flower buds.  Set over medium heat and bring just to a boil.  Remove the mixture from heat and allow to steep for 3 to 5 minutes.  Strain the milk to remove lavender, then return milk to saucepan and whisk in the chopped bittersweet chocolate until melted and smooth.  Whisk in the cocoa powder mixture.  Remove from heat and whisk in the vanilla.  Divide among coffee mugs and serve with a marshmallow or whipped cream.

If crafting these beverages is not your cup of tea, try ours:

Cinnamon Spice Tea

Silver and Gold Christmas Blend

Holly & Ivy Holiday Tea

Winter Remedy

Wassail  blend – in a cloth bag

Spiced Cider Blend - loose

Mulled Cider Blend – in tea bags

Mexican Spiced Cocoa

Sugar-free Hot Cocoa

Traditional Hot Cocoa

Tea Infused Hot Chocolate

I will reach for a cup of tea any long cold day or night.  In truth I drink hot tea almost any time of year.  My husband has been enjoying Hot Cocoa in his Coffee for several years now.  When he was diagnosed with diabetes he stopped enjoying this until he discovered the happiness of Backyard Patch Sugar-free Hot Cocoa (It is amazing what he does not pay any attention to that I make until he needs it!)

His obsession with cocoa in his coffee got me to thinking, how would it taste in tea?  Since tea and milk go well together, this seemed like a great pairing.  So I did an experiment and came up with this recipe.

Hot Cocoa Tea

1 tsp. tea
          (any mint herbal tea is perfect, an oolong is a rich counter part and Chai was made for milk anyway)

1 cup of milk

3 1/2 Tbls. sugar (or sugar substitute equivalent)

2 Tbls. cocoa powder (dutch processed)

Directions:
Make one cup of tea and set aside.  Mix together the milk, cocoa and sugar. in a small pot and heat on the stove.  Stir constantly to keep the milk from scalding.  Once the milk is hot add the tea and bring back to a simmer (no bubbles) and whisk the ingredients.  Pour into a mug and enjoy.  (Makes one super sized serving for one or two smaller servings to share.)


Alternative with instant mixes

Make 1 cup of instant cocoa with water from 1 cup of steeped tea.  Whisk the cocoa for a richness of flavor and enjoy with a cinnmon or peppermint stick.