Make Chocolate Dipped Spoons
Chocolate coffee spoons are simple and sweet, an easy gift to make for the coffee lovers on your list! They act as an extra addition to the drink, as the chocolate melts in to the hot coffee, making a delicious mocha flavour. Whether it's a gift or for yourself, here's how to make them.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (12 ounce package) chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, or candy melts
- 2 teaspoons solid shortening (optional)
Steps
- Gather all necessary equipment and ingredients. Make sure the chocolate you use is able to be melted properly, and avoid chocolate chips meant for keeping their shape, as they will not melt properly. Dark chocolate is a sophisticated flavour that suits the bitterness of coffee well and even has health benefits, while milk or white chocolate can be used as a funner addition to coffee as they're sweet and can be customised easily. Think about the final recipient's taste when choosing chocolate.
- Cover cookie sheets with waxed paper.
- Place one cup of chocolate chips or candy melts in heat-proof measuring cup. A smaller, deeper cup gives best results, as the spoon can dip deeper and you won't need to scoop the chocolate over the spoon for more coverage. Tall glasses or even beakers work well. Ensure that the container is completely dry, as water causes the chocolate to coagulate, ruining the consistency of the chocolate.
- Microwave the chocolate. Every 30 seconds, take the chocolate out and give it a quick stir, checking to see if it's melting smoothly. Overheated chocolate is thick, clumpy and unusable, so keep an eye out for when it's melted and be careful with timing, changing to 10 second intervals if unsure. If the chocolate still has very small lumps, it doesn't need to be microwaved and will melt fine once stirred and left to dwell in it's own heat.
- To thin chocolate, add 1 teaspoon solid shortening per cup of chocolate chips. Stir gently. Do not be tempted to use water to thin chocolate, as they don't mix well. Whole cream, butter and other oil and fat based products can be used in place of shortening
- Dip plastic spoons in melted chocolate to cover the bowl of the spoon. This is where the shape of your container matters- shallow bowls may need an extra tool to cover the spoon in chocolate, while deep containers only need to have spoons dipped. Remove any excess drips by tapping the spoon against the side of the container.
- If chocolate begins to solidify, put it in the microwave for just a few seconds. Alternatively, you can place the container in a large bowl of hot water to keep it warm and prevent the chocolate from hardening.
- Repeat with second cup of chocolate chips or candy melts.
- Place the spoons on the baking sheet and decorate if wanted. Decorations may include crushed peppermints/candy canes, sprinkles, hot chocolate powder and more. Allow to cool. If in a rush, you can put the spoons in the fridge for about ten minutes for a speedy cool.
- Wrap to present as a gift. If using as small gifts or party favours, wrap individually in cellophane tied with a cute bow, perhaps in green and red for the holiday season, or in the recipient's favourite colour. For a larger gift, you can tie multiple together at the base of the spoon with a ribbon, then cover in cellophane. As it's a food product, make sure the wrapping is hygienic. Try to keep the spoons chilled as long as you can, to prevent melting when giving as a gift. You can even include a drink mix (coffee or hot chocolate) and a cute mug to go with your chocolate spoons.
Things You'll Need
- 35-45 heavy-duty plastic spoons
- 2 large cookie sheets or jelly roll pans
- Waxed paper
- Heat-proof glass measuring cups
