These chocolate swizzle sticks are really easy to make, and are a great craft project for
children if you supervise them while they’re melting the chocolate. When stirred into a cup of hot coffee made from freshly-ground coffee beans, the swizzle sticks will gradually dissolve to give a rich, chocolaty taste. They’re a great Christmas gift for a coffee lover, and also ideal for dinner party favours or place settings.
You’ll need:
Star-shaped chocolate lollipop mould
Lollipop sticks
2 x 100g bars of good quality dark chocolate
Edible gold lustre (optional)
Two different colours of cellophane, for example gold and clear
Ribbon
What to do:
Before you start, make sure everything you need to use is clean and dry, as melted
chocolate splits on contact with water.
Break the chocolate into small pieces and put it in a microwave-proof bowl. Melt the
chocolate slowly in the microwave in twenty-second bursts, stirring the chocolate between
each burst. Don’t rush this stage, as it’s easy to burn the chocolate and ruin it.
When the chocolate’s fully melted, stir it for one to two minutes until it looks shiny. This will
help stop it separating when it’s poured into the mould.
Place a lollipop stick in each mould, then carefully spoon the chocolate in. Smooth it off with the back of a spoon, and place the mould in the fridge until the chocolate is set.
Turn the lollipops out onto a clean, dry surface, and carefully brush each star with edible
gold dust.Cut two squares of cellophane, and wrap them round the star, tying them round the lollipop stick with ribbon. Store the swizzle sticks in a cool, dry place alongside your coffee beans until it’s time to use them – don’t keep them in the fridge, as this may cause the chocolate to bloom and look unattractive.
To use the sticks as place settings, write each person’s name on a luggage label and tie it
just below the star with ribbon.
