Comfort Foods Part Deux!!

   It came to my attention (from Doug and my Laura) that I omitted some very important comfort food in the last post.. mea culpa.  SO I am here to correct this gross error. 

Tuna Casserole

Ahh the lowly Tuna Casserole; it never gets the respect it deserves.  It has been the backbone of many a childhood.  When my Laura's school put out a cookbook, they requested each mom to submit a recipe.  I had many a culinary masterpiece I wanted to add, but was petitioned by that same daughter to please add Tuna Casserole, which of course I did.  And after publication, she grabbed my copy, found the page where my tuna casserole recipe was.. outlined the page in stars and wrote in the margin, over and over, I love tuna casserole".  Do you get the idea she likes it?  And yesterday, a mere 25 years later she told me, "I can eat tuna casserole with noodles, with rice, or just as it is, by the pan full."  You may not think of tuna casserole as something special or challenging...but....that's not what we are all about on Food DJ.  We are all about the YUM factor.  And as Doug said to me as I recounted the above story.."well yeah!!! tuna casserole is delicious!"  So it with great pride, I bring you my tuna casserole that has stood me well for 35 years.

This comforting and reliable classic features tuna, egg noodles, cream of mushroom soup and peas, topped with a crunchy potato chip crumb topping - it's just delicious!

Now this is my recipe..a bit adapted because I love cheese (and my kids don't eat onion)

Tuna Noodle Casserole

1 pkg. egg noodles (I also have made it with medium shell pasta..thinking myself clever..tuna...seashells..just ignore me sometimes)

2 can tuna (flake it or break into small chunks)

2 cans cream of mushroom soup

2 cups (8 oz pkg) shredded mild cheddar cheese (may use cheddar/mozarella combination)

Potato chips (buy a big bag of Lay's and eat the rest while you are waiting for it to cook)

pepper to taste (very optional)

1 soup can of whole milk

 

some add a chopped onion, but if my kids saw an onion, noses would be turned up and plates pushed away..even tears sometimes.  Tuna casserole is one of those dinners, the kids, everyone but Laura, would complain as they saw it being made...ohh no!! tuna casserole!! yuk!!...but amazingly as it appeared on the table, in all its creamy, cheesy, crunchy goodness, it would be gobbled down...unless there was onion..I rest my case...I think the onion addition is to make it more "grown up", which would take it out of the comfort food category completely.

Boil noodles and drain; set aside. Take casserole dish. Mix tuna, soup, pepper, and milk. Add noodles. Stir until noodles are mixed in well. Sprinkle cheese on and add crushed chips on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Or until cheese is melted and it's hot.

I always cook the noodles separately.  I know some don't, but I DO!
That way it is creamy and noodles are cooked and not hard and crunchy.

This is how I make it.. have always made it.  And for me the Gold Standard for Tuna Casserole.  That being said I am offering you a few alternative recipes..all good.

Also works great with left over thanksgiving turkey in place of the tuna!

Broccoli can be substituted for peas. Swap out the American cheese for Monterrey Jack, Colby, or Colby Jack. And if you want to go Italian, try Provolone. Top off with handfuls of French's fried onions --- the very same used in the Thanksgiving Green Bean Casserole. Adds some zesty crunch.

 Make the Tuna Casserole as above and Mix up a box of Stuffing Mix place on top (instead of potato chips) of the Tuna Casserole, and Bake, then add Shredded Cheddar Cheese.

Put a half cup of Italian dressing with some green beans also use 1 can of cream of mushroom and one can of cheddar cheese soup, provolone cheese and toasted bread crumbs on top.

To make the recipe healthier (really??? why would you??..it's near perfection the way it is...) Use whole-wheat pasta, 2% milkfat cheddar cheese, and 98% fat-free mushroom soup. Add favorite veggies.

 Now here is an important point...don't foofy this recipe up!!! The whole point of tuna casserole is that it’s old-fashioned comfort food. No bechamel, no frilling it up with garlic, spinach or broccoli. Cream of mushroom soup is the base line, but you can use cream of practically anything else. And throw in a can of cheese soup as well. And it’s normal to use those silly little wrapped up cheese-product slices. TRUST me on this one: you’ll want to tear off your clothes and roll in it.

Onto another gross omission...


Pastina

  Before commercial baby food (and after in my family) pastina is the first food eaten after breast milk.  (Usually around 4 months old, to the chagrin of all those who espouse no solid food till 12 months. Some of us need to sleep at night.  Hungry babies are never a good thing).  Now to be honest, my baby's first food was rice based, not wheat based.. cream of rice. But this came VERY quickly after. 
   What is Pastina?  Simply defined..very, very tiny pasta. And I never realized it was an "Italian thing" till I talked to Doug and Diane and they had no flying idea what I was talking about.
    Nothing is more emblematic of an Italian childhood than pastina (literally, “little pasta”) with butter. It’s baby’s first solid food, remembered in adulthood with great nostalgia. There are many different varieties of pastina, including anellini (“little rings”), stelline (“little stars”), acini de pepe (“peppercorns”), funghetti (“little mushrooms”), alfabeti (“alphabets”), and orzo (“barley”), to name a few of the most common, but PASTINA...is the smallest and first!!!
    Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Pastina: Soooo cute, right? But not so cute that adults can’t sit down to pastina for dinner once in a while alongside the kids–especially after one of those days, when these little stars makes everything better in the twinkling of an eye. So when you wish upon a star, wish hard for Pastina. You’ll thank me. 

    Some make it with milk, but never in my family of origin; my Nonna NEVER made or ate anything with milk. (we seem to have a milk intolerance, my Nonna, myself and my daughter). So the following is ours..

Pastina with Butter and Milk

1 cup “little stars” pastina

3-4 tablespoons butter

Bring 3 quarts (12 cups) water to a boil. Stir in the pastina and salt. Cook according to the package directions. Drain, reserving the cooking water, and transfer to a bowl.

While the pasta is still piping hot, add the butter, burying it in the pasta to melt it. Serve at once to prevent the pastina from drying out and clumping. For best results, stir in a little of the reserved cooking water as needed to keep the pasta moist or if a looser texture is desired. And feed the hungry little monsters..they will eat every bit.

An alternative for milk drinkers...

Pastina with Butter and Milk

1 cup “little stars” pastina

3 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup warm milk, plus more if desired

 Bring 3 quarts (12 cups) water to a boil. Stir in the pastina and salt. Cook according to the package directions. Drain, reserving the cooking water, and transfer to a bowl.

 While the pasta is still piping hot, add the butter, burying it in the pasta to melt it. Stir in the warm milk. If a looser texture is desired, add a little more warm milk. Serve at once to prevent the pastina from drying out and clumping. For best results, stir in a little of the reserved cooking water as needed to keep the pasta moist.

 Now, if you want to get fancy you can cook it in chicken broth or add "stuff"...but as a comfort food, there is no need.  It stands alone in its buttery pasta goodness.

 

which leads us to..........

Chicken Soup with Pastina

Who doesn't like chicken soup? And what soup comes to mind the most when someone is a little under the weather and in need of some warm comfort food?  This is such a good yummy soup...so simple too...the 2 most important qualities of comfort food.

 

 

 

Brodo di Pollo (Chicken Broth)

 

One 6-pound chicken (hen)

3 carrots

1 large onion

3 celery stalks with leaves, cut into thirds

1/4 bunch of Italian parsley, chopped
2 whole plum tomatoes

salt

Fill a large pot with water (remember it has to hold all of the ingredients and have room).  Wash the chicken and place in the pot, with the unpeeled but washed carrots, peeled onion, washed celery, washed plum tomatoes and parsley. Place pot on the stove.  Bring up the heat to high and get it to a low, rolling boil. Immediately lower the heat and simmer. During this simmer, continually remove the junky stuff that rises to the top with a strainer.The cooking on simmer process takes about 2 - 3 hours. Now place a colander over another large pot and strain the soup into the clean pot.  Be careful doing this.  The soup is very hot.  (easier to do with 2 people..ohhh Doug???)  I take the colander full of chcken and vegetable "stuff" and take all the meat off of the chicken (no skin or bones, please), chop up the celery (disgard leaves), chop the tomato (the skin comes off easily and disgard), chop the carrots (after you pull the skin off)....now complete the recipe....add pastina and parmesean  or romano cheese)

 

Pastina in Chicken Broth (Pastina en Brodo di Pollo)

6 cups chicken broth or above soup

1 cup pastina (any tiny, tiny pasta shape)

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (you can use Romano, which is a nice cheese as well)

Salt to taste
 

In a large stockpot, bring the chicken broth (preferably home-made soup) to a boil over medium-high heat.

Add the tiny pastina noodles and cook until the pasta is tender for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in 1/2 of the cheese.

Season with sea salt to taste.

Ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle with the remaining cheese, if desired.

Serve with warm, crusty Italian bread for sopping up any extra broth.

 

 

NEXT!!!

ok not Italian..but my dad was a Brit!!

 

    Sure, you could call this recipe for Britain’s best-loved comfort food Sausages and Mashed Potatoes. But that’s so American. We sorta feel obliged to call it bangers and mash, just because. Faux British accent optional.  You may be asking..June?? You never ate meat, remember??  To which I would answer, "Correct!! But my dad often made this and breakfast sausage (and spam) are not meat in my head!"

 

 

 

Sausage and Mash
 

1 1/3 pounds (about 4 large) potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks

8 links raw sausage, breakfast sausage is my preference (the skinny ones..less meat)

1/2 cup milk, preferably whole

2 tablespoons (1 ounce) or more to taste butter

Salt and ground black pepper, to taste

 Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the potatoes and cook until tender, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, sizzle the sausages in a skillet over medium-high heat, turning as needed, until well browned and cooked through, about 15 minutes total. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.

Drain the potatoes and mash them with a handheld potato masher. Slowly add the milk and butter and stir with a wooden spoon until smooth. (Don't use an electric mixer and make potato wall paper paste).

Plop a mound of mash on each plate and lean a couple of sausages against it and eat.

In our family, brown gravy was poured all over the sausage and mash and on the side was cold applesauce.

 

 

Bangers and Mash Hand Pies

does it get better than this??  sausage and mash you can carry around!

 

Potato Filling

2/3 cup hot water
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup instant mashed potatoes dry
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, if desired

Meat Filling

 

1/2 lb ground pork sausage
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon dry brown gravy mix (from 0.75-oz package)
1/3 cup water

Pie Crust

 

2 boxes Pillsbury® refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on box
1 egg, beaten

Heat oven to 425°F. Heat 2/3 cup hot water, butter and salt to boiling in 1-quart saucepan. Remove from heat. Stir in dry potatoes, milk and parsley just until moistened. Let stand about 1 minute or until liquid is absorbed. Whip with fork until smooth; set aside. In 8-inch skillet, cook sausage and onion over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until meat is no longer pink. Drain if necessary. In small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon gravy mix and 1/3 cup water. Add to skillet. Simmer until mixture thickens, stirring constantly. Set aside to cool. Unroll pie crusts. With 3 1/2-inch round cutter, cut 7 rounds from each crust. Spoon about 1 tablespoon mashed potatoes in center of each of 14 rounds; press to flatten slightly. Top potatoes on each with about 1 tablespoon meat mixture. Brush edges of topped pastry with water. Place remaining pastry rounds on top of meat mixture. Pinch edges to seal.  Place on ungreased cookie sheets. Using sharp knife, cut 3 slits in top of each pastry. Brush tops with beaten egg.  Bake 9 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.

 

Soft Boiled Eggs on Toast or Baby Eggs

    This recipe is so over-the-top easy that everyone should know how to make it without the aid of a recipe. Soft-boiled eggs were pretty commonplace when I was a kid. I love love love soft-boiled eggs, likely because of my childhood memory of my dad making them special for me (and me sneaking more butter into my bowl). I didn't like eggs but my dad would make these and I loved them..the creamy silky texture and buttery taste. I called them baby eggs cause they were a soft warm yummy food that could be fed to babies (don't talk to me about undercooked eggs, please or you will get an earful). Not quite cooked all the way, but cooked enough to smear on your toast. After you try them, soft-boiled eggs just might be a favorite of yours too.

 

 

2 eggs, per person

Lots of butter

Salt and pepper

Toast

 

To cook the eggs, place them in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. For a medium-set egg in which the yolk will be runny and the whites a bit loose, cook for 1 minute 30 seconds (yes, just 1 minute!). If you prefer a firmer white, leave it for another 20 to 30 seconds. Remove the pan from the heat, place it in the sinks, and run the eggs under cold water until cool enough to handle.


 To serve the eggs, using the back of a knife, gently crack the shells. Use the knife to slice each egg in half. Scoop out the insides, chop fine, put in a small bowl, and mix with a hunk of butter, salt and pepper. Toast is a nice partner for these eggs, but you can just eat them with a spoon.
 

 

 

 Hot Chocolate

 

June says:  The One (Who Brings Me Love, Joy, and Happiness) is perhaps the only person I know who can drink and enjoy brown warm water. (and my sister, so possibly all Capricorns). That was the hot chocolate of my childhood. It was the instant variety, whichever brand my mom found on sale, and even when she made it with milk, it was wan. Wan and one-dimensional and cloying, it tasted just as I imagined the box might taste. Though it lacked inspiration and imagination, it was still a tease, and I fell for it time and again. So I did the only thing a disillusioned, picky six-year-old could do: I dreamt up a thick cocoa with that was thick, creamy and fudgy. It would be substantial enough to stand up to frozen fingers and cheeks after making snowmen, horrible, no good, very bad days at school, and mountains of unending homework. It was sweet and delightful, capturing the fudgy essence of the joy of warm brownies, while hinting of more elegant sensuous luxuries yet known to me. It didn’t so much warm my senses as tempt them—an omen of far darker sensual vices, that I’d succumb to some day. The hot chocolate of my dreams was like a puddle of melted chocolate, with a dollop of whipped cream.
 

Doug says: My angel is perhaps the only person I know who can drink finger-singeing mugs of hot chocolate so thick you could upend them over your head and sing, "Oh Canada"  before the contents drizzles out. Me, I like my hot chocolate thin, layered, subtle. So I like packaged hot chocolate made with milk.  I am adamant: I have no need or desire to suck up a mug of melted Hershey's Kisses masquerading as a drink. I like my cocoa thin, so I can sip it while gazing out the window early in the morning, like people do in those coffee commercials.

 

Hot Chocolate Recipes

 

   The difference between hot chocolate and hot cocoa is the type of chocolate used. Hot chocolate is made with melted chocolate and hot cocoa is made with cocoa powder.

 

Mexican Hot Chocolate

Have you seen the movie, Chocolat? This is like the hot chocolate that was served in the movie.

2 cups boiling water

1 chile pepper, cut in half, seeds removed (with gloves)

5 cups light cream or whole or nonfat milk

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

1 to 2 cinnamon sticks

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate or 3 tablets Mexican Chocolate, cut into 1/4-inch pieces

2 tablespoons granulated sugar or honey, or to taste

l tablespoon almonds or hazelnuts, ground extra fine/span>

Whipped cream

 

In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, add chile pepper to boiling water. Cook until liquid is reduced to 1 cup. Remove chile pepper; strain water and set aside.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine cream or milk, vanilla bean and cinnamon stick until bubbles appear around the edge. Reduce heat to low; add chocolate and sugar or honey; whisk occasionally until chocolate is melted and sugar dissolves. Turn off heat; remove vanilla bean and cinnamon stick. Add chile-infused water, a little at a time, tasting to make sure the flavor isn't too strong. If chocolate is too thick, thin with a little more milk.

Serve in small cups and offer ground almonds or hazelnuts and whipped cream.

 

 

Hot Chocolate (from the Angelina Cafe in Paris)

 

6 ounces fine-quality semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1/4 cup water, room temperature

3 tablespoons hot water

3 cups hot milk, divided

Sugar to taste

Whipped cream, if desired

In a double boiler over low heat, combine chocolate and 1/4 cup water until melted, stirring occasionally; stir until smooth.

Remove top of double boiler pan from. Whisk in 3 tablespoons hot water. Pour into pitcher or divide among individual 4 mugs. Either stir 3/4 cup hot milk into each mug or serve milk in a separate pitcher. Pass sugar and whipped cream in separate bowls; add to taste.

Makes 4 servings.

 

Italy is famous for their Cioccolato Caldo, especially during the fall and winter months. This hot chocolate is sometimes served so thick (like a pudding), that you need a spoon to actually eat it! this recipe doesn't make it that thick. The luxurious richness comes from using top-quality chocolate.

Italian Hot Chocolate - Cioccolato Caldo

 

5 tablespoons Dutch-process Cocoa powder

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

6 ounces dark chocolate (at least 70% cacao solids), finely chopped

2 cups milk

In a small saucepan over low heat, add the cocoa powder, sugar, and 2 tablespoons of the milk, Heat until the sugar melts and no lumps remain, stirring well. Bring to a low boil, stirring constantly; add the remaining milk. Turn off the heat, add the chopped chocolate, stirring until smooth.

Pour into serving cups and enjoy!

Makes 2 servings.

 

 

Classic Hot Chocolate

  

1 quart (1 liter) milk
1 Madagascar vanilla bean, split
1 stick of cinnamon
¾ teaspoon (3.5 grams) black peppercorns (whole)
2 bars (3.5 ounces/100 grams each) Lindt Excellence 70% Cocoa, chopped

Heat the milk with the spices in a saucepan over medium heat until it reaches boiling point, but do not let the milk boil.
Add the chopped chocolate and whisk until smooth.
Remove from heat and let rest for 25 minutes to release the spices’ aroma.
Strain the liquid and reheat before serving.

OMG!!! REALLY?? OHH YES YES YES!!

 

Nutella Hot Chocolate

4 cups whole milk
1/2 cup Nutella
mini marshmallows or whipped cream

In a medium sauce pan over medium-low heat, whisk together milk and Nutella until the Nutella is melted and milk gets nice and warm. Serve in mugs and top with marshmallows or whipped cream. Makes 4 servings.
This can be made ahead of time, cooled, and stored in the fridge. Reheated on the stove or microwave in individual mugs. If microwaving, reheat each cup for about 1 minute.

Classic Hot Cocoa

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4-1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup half and half
• 4 cups whole milk
• Whipped Cream or Mini Marshmallows

1. Stir together sugar, cocoa and salt in medium saucepan; add half and half.
2. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil.
3. Simmer 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly.
4. Add milk; stirring constantly, heat to desired serving temperature. Do Not Boil.
5. Remove cocoa from heat; whisk or beat until frothy. Top with whipped cream or marshmallows.

VARIATIONS – use classic recipe above making the following substitutions:

Skinny Cocoa: Eliminate sugar. Combine cocoa, salt and 1/2 cup skim milk; use 4 cups skim milk or reconstituted non-fat dry milk. Proceed as above. When removing from heat stir in enough sugar substitute with sweetening equivalence to equal 1/2 cup sugar.
(please??? really??? pfft!!)

Butterscotch Cocoa: replace sugar with 1/4 cup packed brown sugar; before adding milk stir in1 cup butterscotch baking chips (replacing the sugar with brown sugar also goes well Harvest Spice or Peanut Butter Cocoa variations)

Canadian Cocoa: add 1/2-1 teaspoon maple extract after removing from the heat

Cocoa Au Lait: serve with a scoop softened vanilla ice cream on top of each cup

Eggnog Cocoa: eliminate sugar, substitute milk for the 1/2 cup half and half, substitute 4 cups prepared eggnog for milk; sprinkle with additional nutmeg if desired

Harvest Spice Cocoa: add 1-3 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice to cocoa powder

Mexican Cocoa: add 1/2-1 teaspoon ground cinnamon with cocoa powder

Orange Cocoa: add 1/2 teaspoon orange extract when removing from heat

Peanut Butter Cocoa: replace 1/3 cup white sugar with 1/3 cup packed brown sugar. Add 1/4 -1/2 cup creamy peanut butter before adding milk; stir until smooth, then add milk. (I think you could do the same thing with Nutella)

Peppermint Cocoa: add 1/2 teaspoon mint; add crushed peppermint candies

Almond Cocoa: add 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Mix ins and Topping ideas for Hot Cocoa Bar
Have the following ingredients in serving bowls with spoons. Family and guests fill their mugs with cocoa then add mix ins and toppings of their choice to ‘customize’ their cocoa.

• Butterscotch Chips
• Chocolate shavings
• Chopped peanuts, hazelnuts, pecans
• Cinnamon Candies
• Creamy Peanut Butter
• Nutella
• Crushed Peppermint candies
• Crushed candy canes such as strawberry, orange, or cherry flavored
• Crushed toffee bits
• Mini Marshmallows
• Marshmallow Creme
• Mini M&M’s
• Sprinkles and Colored Crystals
• Whipped Cream
• Reddi Whip – they have chocolate and vanilla flavored
• Chocolate Syrup
• Caramel Syrup
• Ice cream in various flavors such as vanilla, mint, caramel
• Chopped Peanut Butter cups
• Crushed Butterfinger

Stirring Sticks:

• Mini straws
• Candy Cane
• Cinnamon Stick
• Chocolate coated spoons

Make your own cocoa mix..so much better than Swiss Miss...

Best Ever Hot Cocoa Mix

 

Ingredients

• 3 cups non-fat dry milk
• 1-1/2 cups white chocolate chips (I use 1/2 dark chocolate chips)
• 2 cups (8 ounces) confectioners’ sugar
• 1-1/2 cups (4-1/2 ounces Dutch processed cocoa)
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Place the dry milk and white chocolate chips into a food processor (I think a good blender could work also). Process in the ingredients in the food processor until it becomes a nice powder.

Add the powder to a large bowl and add the remaining ingredients. Whisk together until well blended with no clumps. (The white chocolate/dry milk mixture likes to clump together)

Store in an airtight container.

To make hot cocoa, add ⅓ cup of this mixture into 1 cup of hot milk (I even used Skim) and stir until well combined and the mixture has dissolved.

 

Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix

Ingredients

• 4 cups nonfat dry milk powder
• 1½ cups sugar
• 1 cup non-dairy powdered coffee creamer
• ⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Hershey’s)
• 1 (4 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding

Place all the ingredient together in a large bowl.

Whisk together until well combined.

Store in a airtight container.

To prepare a cup of hot cocoa: add ¼ to ⅓ cup of mix (I like ⅓ cup) to 8 oz of hot water. Stir until blended. (If using ⅓ cup per serving, you should be able to get 22 servings from this recipe.)

 

 

 

Here is an awesome recipe...perfect for gift giving...Basically it’s a block of fudge that you swirl into warm milk, creating the most wonderful mug of hot chocolate you’ve ever had. It’s smooth and creamy, and the chocolate blends perfectly into the milk, with no powdery residue like you get from so many hot cocoa mixes.

 

They are adorable and the perfect cozy, winter treat!

 

For planning purposes you should know that, and the chocolate blocks have to sit for about 12 hours before cutting. (You can stick a marshmallow on top..or use a few minimarshmallows on top of chocolate while still warm)

Hot Chocolate Blocks

From King Arthur Flour

• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• One 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk
• 3 cups semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped or in chips ( I actually used 1 cup dark chips, 1 cup semi-sweet chips, and 1 cup milk chocolate chips)
• One 4-oz bar unsweetened chocolate (broken or chopped into smaller pieces)
• Wooden or cookie/lollipop sticks/candy canes
• 8″x8″ pan, lined with parchment paper

Heat the cream and sweetened condensed milk over medium-low heat until it starts steaming, stirring periodically. Remove from heat and add chocolate. Stir and let sit for 10 minutes, then put back on medium-low heat and stir with a whisk until chocolate is completely melted and shiny. (At this point you could add some flavoring…vanilla, hazelnut, peppermint, whatever fits your fancy!)
Pour chocolate into prepared pan and spread chocolate as level as you possibly can. Let sit overnight (12 hours or so).

Remove chocolate from pan and cut, top side face down, into squares. Divide the block into sixths each direction, so your squares will be a bit larger than 1″ x 1″. Use a long, thin knife. Heat the knife under hot water, wipe dry with a towel or paper towel, make a few cuts, then repeat the knife-heating procedure. Makes 36 squares, although those corner squares are shaped a little funny…you might just want to eat those straight up while you’re cooking. You need the energy for all this hard work.

 

For the chocolate squares, feel free to get creative with flavorings and/or rolling them in peppermint pieces, cocoa, etc. I just used a little vanilla in the chocolate and kept it simple. And they are still mighty delicious! One stick is good for about 4 – 8 ounces of hot milk…depending on how chocolatey you like it.

I wrapped each stick in a square of cellophane and tied it with a pretty ribbon. I’m kind of in love with my hot chocolates on sticks.

For delivery, I packed the sticks in white lunch bags (I found some at Target) with the tops cut off so that the sticks would poke out the top. I then stapled a simple card printed from my computer with directions for the chocolate. { Warm & Happy Holidays!!  enjoy your hot chocolate on stick..swirl one in 6-8 ounces of hot milk }  I actually drew a snowman on the bag.

You can fit about 6 sticks in one bag comfortably. Because your hot chocolate wants to be comfortable. Trust me.

I made three batches of the chocolate blocks. I was able to make about 100 sticks, with marshmallows.


There you have it! Hot Chocolate on a Stick! Happy Holidays!