Recipe: Hot Chocolate Popsicle Sticks

One of the things I loved getting at Easter was a an Easter themed mug full of eggs. And I wanted to do that for my nieces & nephews who are all young adults. So I bought some nice mugs and then thought that hot chocolate on stick might be a nice thing, especially as it’s autumn here. Just put hot chocolate stick in a mug, add hot milk & stir to combine. It’s everything you need for hot chocolate, even marshmallows, just add hot milk and stir with the stick provided!

Of course I had to make three flavours & two methods & make it complicated but it’s actually really easy. I’ve seen these made in silicone muffin pans (as I did for my caramel ones) but I had mini popsicle moulds that you use for cake pops or cake-sickles, if you will. I thought they would work perfectly for this and they were great! I will admit iding the popsicle mould is a more fiddly way to do this but I love a kitchen challenge & they really do look so nice. I love to make things a bit extra.

But if you don’t have cake popsicle moulds hanging around, the muffin tin method is much easier & just as good. You can do it for all flavours, just mix the powder directly into the melted chocolate before putting in the muffin mould. This has the added bonus of lightly tinting the white chocolate pink with no dyes. The chocolate may stiffen when adding the powders but an extra 15-30 secs should loosen things enough to get it in the mould. Just add about 1/4 dcup powder to 600g melted choc.

Sometimes, I get jealous of ingredients that are common in America but not available here, like caramel baking bits (would have saved me unwrapping & chopping caramels) and they have teeny, tiny dehydrated marshmallows that puff up in liquid to become mini marshmallows! They would have been much easier to fit in my moulds. But I did find these cute bunny marshmallows in Woolies and they made such a cute decoration! They were pretty big, so snipped them in half with sharp kitchen scissors.

I individually wrapped them by putting them in cellophane bag & tying it up with curling ribbon & they look so cute! Mr Ask has been taking his taste testing duties seriously, testing every flavour for me because I’m not at all a chocolate person lol! I think these are such a fun gift! It’s got all the Easter vibes with that autumn weather twist. Now all you need is some comfy pjs, warm slippers, a hot cross bun dripping in butter & some hot milk.

Ingredients

Each of these used around 600g chocolate. That’s around 16 mini popsicles or 12 caramel muffin tin ones. I always have extra on hand in case. Chocolate amounts are somehow never scientific in my kitchen.
The popsicles use around 5 mini marshmallows per cavity & around 3/4 tablespoon dry powders
I used a whole bag of caramels making 12 muffin mould. And loads of mini marshmallows, like half a bag per 12.

Double Choc Popsicles

• Milk & dark chocolate melts (I prefer Nestle, Cadbury doesn’t set up well)
• Hot coca mix
• Mini marshmallows
• Food grade popsicle sticks
• Decorations such as white chocolate, bunny marshmallows, sprinkles

Pink Strawberry Choc Popsicles

• White chocolate melts (I prefer Nestle, Cadbury doesn’t set up well)
• Strawberry quick
• Mini marshmallow
• Food grade popsicle sticks
• Pink chocolate food colour (I use Colour Mill)
• Decorations such as white chocolate, bunny marshmallows, sprinkles

Chocolate Caramel Sticks

• Milk & dark chocolate melts (I prefer Nestle, Cadbury doesn’t set up well)
• Werthers soft chewy caramels, cut into pieces
• Mini marshmallow
• Food grade popsicle sticks or disposable timber teaspoons
• Jersey caramels, for decoration

Instructions

For the Popsicles

1. Add the melts to a microwave safe bowl & microwave in 30 second bursts, stirring in between, until melted and smooth. If making pink chocolate, add colouring now.
2. Dollop a heaped teaspoon or so into each popsicle cavity. Use the back of a teaspoon to coat the sides fully. Insert the popsicle sticks and add a dab of chocolate where the stick pokes through to secure it. Tap the mould to release bubbles. Chill for 5 mins to set.
3. Fill each cavity with mini marshmallows, about 5, depending on the thickness of chocolate. Try to fit them so that they don’t ride above the cavity. Add as much hot chocolate powder/ strawberry quick as will fit, approx 3/4 tablespoon. Tap mould so that powder settles.
4. Pour chocolate over each cavity and smooth as best you can. It will probably be a bit lumpy due to marshmallows but do your best. Tap mould to settle chocolate & fill in any missed areas. Chill for 20 mins.
5. Unmould popsicles, trim any messy bits with a sharp, warm (but very dry) pairing knife.
6. Decorate as desired, I drizzled with white chocolate and a bunny marshmallow.

For the muffin mould

1. Add the melts to a microwave safe bowl & microwave in 30 second bursts, stirring in between, until melted and smooth.
2. Pour chocolate into muffin mould, filling each cup evenly about 1/3 full. Evenly sprinkle the chopped caramels between the 12 muffin cups.
3. Top each cup with chocolate, they should be 3/4 full. Add a jersey caramel to each cup. Insert a popsicle stick or teaspoon into each cup & cover any exposed chocolate with mini marshmallow.
4. Chill for 40 mins & push out of muffin cups.