Chocolate sweetie slabs

I'm aware that quite a few of my posts include chocolate and marshmallows. There is a good reason for that - they are quite frankly delicious. But the real reason is because I'm adding quite a lot of posts in a short space of time it looks like I make lots of things with chocolate and marshmallows in. Actually these makes have not been everyday, and are consumed in moderation as part of a balanced diet.

All that said, this particular post is all about the chocolate! You know those lovely looking mini (and giant) slabs of adorned chocolate you can buy at posh chocolatiers? Well, you can make them yourself! And what's more, the kids can help!

What you need:

200g bars of dark/milk chocolate
100g white chocolate
Mini marshmallows/jelly tots/dolly mixtures/jelly beans/chocolate buttons/toffee covered popcorn/smarties - basically any sweets that take your fancy!

Foil
Plastic lids such as margarine tub lids - this quantity of chocolate will fill 3 medium sized margarine lids.

Start by lining the inside of your lids with a layer of foil. This will make the chocolate slab easier to remove. Your slab will be the same size and shape as your lid, so you could play around with other shapes and containers if you want...just make sure they're about 1cm high, and lined well.

Break up the chocolate and melt separately in short bursts in your microwave.

Now divide the chocolate evenly between the lined lids, swirling it together if you so desire.

Whilst the chocolate is still wet and melted - adorn it! Pop the sweeties onto the chocolate, slightly pressing down as you go. Pop in the fridge or a cool place to set. Then break or cut and eat! (Or bag up for homemade gifts).

Above is Mini's attempt. At 5, he was just interested in putting as much as possible on!
Below is Dollop's attempt after the foil had been removed. Even at just 2, she is clearly artistic and creative (!), and has managed to make a skull shape on hers...

This much plainer version is that of my hubby - the NC, who was more careful with his sweetie placement and included some artistic swirls using a cocktail stick!

NOTE - we used 3 of these medium sized lids. The slabs turned out just fine, but the chocolate was a little thin on two of them. Perhaps an extra 100g of chocolate would do better.

Hot chocolate spoons

I know, I know...not really the time of year for hot chocolate is it? But, my kids really enjoy a hot chocolate as a treat, and I'm quite partial to a cuppa of the yumtious (and yes, that is a word!) stuff myself, especially with a few marshmallows floating on top!

So, for another of our activity packs I decided to make 'Hot Chocolate Spoons'. My local supermarket is selling something similar for about £1 each, but thrifty me decided they could be done much cheaper, and we could even gift them later in the year.

You will need:

Plastic spoons (we used the cheapest ones I could find in Tesco)

100g Dark chocolate

Small bag of Mini Marshmallows

Sprinkles

Break up the chocolate and place in a microwaveable bowl. Microwave in short bursts to melt the chocolate. 

Whilst the chocolate is melting, lay out the plastic spoons on a plate or tray. 

Once melted and smooth, dollop the chocolate onto the spoons making sure you put on as much as possible. Decorate with about 3 marshmallows and a few sprinkles - really easy for the kids to do! Then leave in the fridge to set. 

To use, heat some milk in the microwave and pop a Hot Chocolate Spoon straight in. Leave it a minute to melt and then stir a few times. Voila - a mild hot chocolate perfect for children (or for mummy!)

Marshmallow Pops

This is another 'make' from the activity packs I've made for my children this summer and one that the whole family had a lot of fun with.

I can't be specific on quantities here, it depends how piggish your family is! But this is what we used:

1 bag of pink and white marshmallows
50g white chocolate
50g dark chocolate (you could use milk if you wanted)
A variety of sprinkles/coloured sugar/coconut/dried strawberry

Foil
Tray/baking sheet
Skewers/straws or cake pop sticks

Firstly line a tray or baking sheet with foil. Make sure it's long enough to lay your wooden skewers/lollipop sticks on.

Then push the marshmallows onto the skewers or sticks. I've seen suggestions of using straws, but if you do I'd suggest cutting a small slit into each marshmallow before pushing the straw in. Then pop the marshmallows on sticks into the freezer (this will help the chocolate set faster).

Whilst the mallow pops are freezing, break the chocolate into separate bowls and melt in the microwave. Do this in short bursts to prevent overheating it. Whilst the chocolate melts, put a little of each type of sprinkle into a small container ready for dipping.

Once the sprinkles are sorted and the chocolate is melted, bring the mallow pops out of the freezer and dip each firstly into one of the chocolates, then into your desired sprinkle. Lay carefully on the foil and allow to set.

Tie together in bunches for a gift, or if you're like us, eat them up as soon as possible and feel really full and happy after :-)