hot cocoa on a peppermint stick

while stalking around the internet late one night

i came across this

givers log

a great website with darling and wonderful ideas

 i knew immediately that I wanted to make these

and today i found the time 

which is silly

that i thought i needed to put aside time

because these are so very easy

and yet

so delightful

here's a gift idea

make some of these

and a batch of marshmallows

add a quart of milk in a bottle

and a couple of festive mugs

or not

and some christmas carols downloaded from here

and you have a really nice gift

that is also practical

because

you can't drink diamonds

Hot Chocolate on A Peppermint Stick
(printable recipe)

8 oz good bittersweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

pinch of salt

-sift the powdered sugar, cocoa powder and salt.  In a bowl over a double boiler melt the chocolate (for precise instructions click here).  It is important not to let the chocolate get too hot. It should be JUST melted--and not piping hot. Remove the bowl of chocolate well before the chocolate is completely melted.  This is important. What you are trying to do is keep the chocolate in "temper"--this will allow it to harden with a nice sheen--as well as easily pop out of whatever mold you will be using.

Add the sifted ingredients to the melted chocolate and stir until it is incorporated and has a nice sheen.

Use a pastry bag or spoon into your mold of choice.

I used a silicon canele mold...but you can use ice cube trays, shot glasses, tartlet tins, mini-muffin pans...lots of things.

Use anything you want for the stick...i used mini candy canes, but you can use spoons, lolly sticks, cinnamon sticks, fun vintage plastic stir sticks, funky skewers...

One cocoa on a stick will turn a steaming mug of milk 

into a delicious chocolate mustache-forming mug of cocoa

top with homemade marshmallows

and enter 

a place i like to call bliss

where diamonds

are 

just another unnecessary extravagance