Chocolate Stirrers

• plant oil↗

  for the mold

• dark chocolate↗400g g

  or milk chocolate, chopped

• whole cardamom pods3

  husks removed, seeds ground to powder

• crushed pistachios2 tsp tsp
• small unwrapped orange1

  or mandarin, finely zested

• sugar zest↗2 tsp tsp

  finely chopped

• pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
• white chocolate↗4 squares

  4 squares, finely grated or shavings

• frozen dried raspberry↗1 tsp tsp
• star anise¼ whole

  ¼ whole, finely ground

• ice‑cream stick mold
• small wooden spoons or ice‑cream sticks

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Lightly grease the ice‑cream stick mold with vegetable oil. Melt the chocolate in a bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring occasionally – be careful not to overheat the chocolate or it will become waxy and grainy. Alternatively, melt the chocolate in the microwave in short, intense bursts on medium power. Insert the spoons or sticks into the mold cavities.

2. 2

   Divide the melted chocolate into four separate bowls. Quickly add different flavours. In one bowl add ground cardamom and fill two mold cavities to the edge of the spoon, then sprinkle with chopped pistachios. In the next bowl add orange zest, fill another two cavities to the edge and decorate with sugar zest. In the third bowl add a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg, fill two cavities as before and sprinkle with white chocolate. In the last bowl add star anise, stir, fill the remaining cavities and garnish with frozen‑dry raspberry.

3. 3

   Cool the molds in the refrigerator for at least 2–3 hours. When the chocolate is fully set, carefully remove the stirrers from the molds, wrap each spoon in cellophane and tie with a string. Optionally add a label “Stir into hot milk”. Store in a cool place until use.