st. patrick’s day white hot chocolate sticks

March 3, 2015 // 16 Comments »

St. Patrick's Day White Hot Chocolate Sticks create a decadent drink with a pinch of green

White Hot Chocolate Sticks topped with shamrock sprinkles create a decadent drink with a pinch of green just perfect for St. Patrick’s Day.

White hot chocolate. Love it or hate it? I personally love it, but am fully aware that not everyone is as enthusiastic. Though I do love a unique flavor combination mixed in with my milk and dark hot chocolate treats, I prefer white hot chocolate over the others any day. These St. Patrick’s Day White Hot Chocolate Sticks are pure white chocolate perfection, just creamy white chocolate and a sprinkle of shamrocks for a festive hue.

St. Patrick's Day White Hot Chocolate Sticks create a decadent drink with a pinch of green

I found silicone ice cube trays that are the perfect size for preparing a rich mug of hot chocolate. Gold spoons were the obvious stick of choice for St. Patrick’s day, but any plastic or wooden spoon will do. Avoid using paper straws and lollipop sticks. As pretty as they may be, they’ll likely dissolve into a soggy mess before your chocolate is fully melted and stirred.

To package these sticks for gifting, I dropped each into a cellophane treat sack tied with matching gold ribbon. You could also totally go all out with shamrock ribbon, cute labels, and fun mug pairings for a thoughtfully festive gift. The shamrock sprinkles are optional or could be swapped out with coordinating sprinkles for any occasion. Sprinkles aren’t exactly optional in my world and I personally adore the green tint that they give the hot chocolate as they dissolve into the milk.

St. Patrick's Day White Hot Chocolate Sticks create a decadent drink with a pinch of green

Choose a good quality white chocolate as your hot chocolate will only be as good as the ingredients that go into it. I love the Callebaut White Chocolate as it is high quality and the small disks melt beautifully. Valhrona, Ghirardelli, and Guittard are also fabulous substitutions. For a lower cost alternative, white chocolate baking bars found at your local grocery store will also work, just avoid the ‘vanilla flavored’ bars. And If you’re going to splurge on good chocolate make sure to preserve its delicate flavor when melting by using the double boiler method.

If you’re not familiar with the double boiler method for melting chocolate, it couldn’t be any easier. Simply fill a small sauce pan with an inch or two of water and bring to a boil. Find a heat safe bowl that is large enough to sit on top of the pot without touching the surface of the water. Place your chocolate in the bottom of the bowl and stir continuously until mostly melted. Remove from heat and continue stirring until chocolate is completely melted and smooth. This method ensures that chocolate is melted gradually to prevent scorching from direct heat.

St. Patrick's Day White Hot Chocolate Sticks

ST. PATRICK'S DAY WHITE HOT CHOCOLATE STICKS
 
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Yields: 6 one-inch stirrers
INGREDIENTS
  • 8 ounces premium white chocolate, chopped
  • 3 tablespoons confectioners sugar, sifted
  • shamrock sprinkles
PREPARATION
  1. Create a double boiler by placing a heat safe bowl on top of a small saucepan of boiling water. Place chocolate into bowl and stir until just melted.
  2. Remove from heat and stir in the confectioners sugar until smooth.
  3. Transfer chocolate to a disposable piping bag or ziplock bag with the tip cut off and divide evenly between six cavities of your silicone mold.
  4. Place a plastic spoon or wooden popsicle stick into each square of chocolate and top with shamrock sprinkles.
  5. Refrigerate for at least an hour until set, checking periodically to ensure spoons remain upright. Once completely set, carefully remove blocks from your mold and package.
TO SERVE
  1. Stir hot chocolate block into 8 ounces (1 cup) hot milk until completely dissolved.

TIPS FOR EASY UNMOLDING
For best results, only fill every other cavity of your silicone mold in a checkerboard pattern. This allows you to gently pull the silicone away from all four sides of each block. Before attempting to unmold, check to make sure that chocolate is completely set and firm. Gently pull silicone from all sides of each block to loosen before pressing up on the block from the bottom of the mold. Patience is key as you carefully remove each block.

RESOURCES
Tovolo Perfect Cube Ice Trays
Plastic Spoons, Glittering Gold
Callebaut White Chocolate Callets
Mini Shamrock Sprinkles

St. Patrick's Day White Hot Chocolate Stirrers create a decadent drink with a pinch of green

by Kimberly Ann // bake, drinks, spring, st patricks day
16 Comments »