There’s a Christmas tradition in our house, starting from my childhood, to make little chocolate Christmas puddings.
Before you go getting all impressed at my skills in the kitchen, these particular chocolate Christmas puddings are simply an Arnott’s Chocolate Royal biscuit with some white chocolate, jaffas and some sliced mint leaf lollies. Don’t you love a cheat’s easy-peasy recipe? You can knock this one out in approx 10 minutes.
All you have to do is drop a small amount of white chocolate onto the top of the Royal biscuit. Add a jaffa and some finely chopped mint leaves and you’re done. The hardest part of the whole thing will be melting the chocolate.
Which is why you need my fool-proof, no-fail chocolate melting technique…
The fool-proof, no-fail chocolate melting technique
In the past I have often found melting chocolate a bit of ‘hit & miss’. Sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn’t. More often than not it went lumpy. I could never get it right in the microwave, even though others swear by that method. But, with a bit of trial and error, I have found a foolproof way of melting chocolate perfectly every time. A method no doubt well known by others, but new to me. Here goes.
1. Boil water in kettle (or saucepan on stove)
2. Pour boiling water from kettle into saucepan until approx one third full (or remove saucepan from heat if you have boiled water on stove). I like to use a double saucepan, but you could use a metal bowl on top of a saucepan.
3. Place top saucepan (or metal bowl) onto bottom saucepan (making sure it is no longer on the stove – this is the key people!).
4. Place chocolate into top saucepan/ bowl. I like to use melts especially designed for melting.
5. Wait for chocolate to melt. It will happen slowly… quite a few minutes, but be patient and stir as you go if you like. You’ll think it is not working, but it is!
Your chocolate will be melted perfectly and your chocolate Christmas puddings will make a fine gift for friends and teachers.
Make your own crackers too
At last, a use for candy canes
With the leftover white chocolate still in the saucepan, I tried something I’ve wanted to do for a while. We made some Candy Cane bark.
Simply add a few drops of peppermint essence to the melted chocolate, pour onto a small tray covered in baking paper, then sprinkle some crushed candy canes over the top and let it set.
Once set, you break it into pieces and package into nice little gifts.
This was so ridiculously easy. Next time I would like to try a mixture of dried cranberries and pistachios on some dark chocolate, and without the essence, for a more adult Christmas treat. I’ve also seen it done with layers of white and milk chocolate or swirling the two together. The possibilities are endless.
I’ll leave you now to go melt some chocolate for your chocolate Christmas puddings or as a vehicle for making candy canes palatable. Have fun melting!
Did you have the Royal biscuit chocolate Christmas puddings as a kid?
