My Hot and Steamy Valentine
February 11, 2011 at 10:11 am | Posted in Baking / Cooking, Food | 36 CommentsIce coating the driveway and piles of snow still towering over mailboxes and trashcans, I’d venture to guess that we’re destined for one of the coldest Valentine’s Days on record. With the odds stacked against us, it’s going to take some extra effort to heat things up around here, and I happen to know just the thing to do it… Chocolate, of course.
Pressed for time but seeking sweetness to share, inspiration struck as soon as I laid eyes on Hotchocspoons. Pure fudge on the end of a spoon, ready to be dunked into hot non-dairy milk for a rich and steamy cup of hot chocolate? Brilliant! And better yet, a gift that can be made at the very last minute. Many have since come up with their own renditions, but I had to put my own small spin on this one.
Chocolate-covered cherries, those quintessential Valentine’s Day bon bons, are now re imagined as a voluptuous glass of hot chocolate waiting to happen. Flavor possibilities are endless, but to give it a gently spicy warmth, I threw in a pinch of cinnamon, and gave it a greater depth with a dash of toasty hazelnut extract.
If you can use the microwave, you can make these babies, which means they’re also a great gift to make with the kids, too.
Cherry Hot Chocolate Spoons
9 – 12 Natural Maraschino Cherries
1 Tablespoon Coconut Oil
6 Ounces (1 Cup) Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
1/4 Teaspoon Hazelnut or Almond Extract
Pinch Ground Cinnamon
Pinch Salt
9 – 12 Reusable or Biodegradable Spoons
Drain the cherries and place them on a paper down to further dry. They don’t need to be perfectly bone-dry, but they will adhere to the chocolate better if they aren’t sopping wet.
Place the chocolate and coconut oil in a microwave-safe dish, and heat on full power for one minute. Let sit for another minute, and then stir thoroughly. If there are still lumps that aren’t melting, give it another 15 – 30 seconds in the microwave, stirring well after each 15 second interval, until smooth. Mix in the extract, cinnamon, and salt.
Equally divide the chocolate mixture between 9 – 12 indents in a silicon mold, each with a capacity of 1 – 2 tablespoons. I used hearts here to continue the theme, but whatever you’ve got will work, including mini muffin pans.
Place the mold on a level surface in your freezer, and let the chocolate begin to set up for about 10 minutes. Once it’s semi-firm, push the spoons into the indents so that they reach the bottoms, and then gently press one cherry into the top of each mound of chocolate. Return the molds to the freezer, and let the rest until they’re completely solid- At least 1 hour. Once they’re set, they can be wrapped in plastic and stored in a cool place.
To serve, simply heat 6 – 8 ounces of non-dairy milk just to the brink of boiling, transfer to a mug, and plunk in a spoon. Let the chocolate sit and melt for about a minute, and then stir well. Enjoy with someone you love!
Makes 9 – 12 Hot Chocolate Spoons
In case you’re still at wit’s end looking for a perfect Valentine’s Day treat, try on one of my other love-ly recipes for size…
Red Velvet Cupcakes
Pomegranate Ice Cream Pops
Roasted Red Pepper Soup
Homemade White Chocolate
Strawberry Love Muffins
Classic Chocolate Cupcakes
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Interesting take on a valentine dessert. Looks lovely.
Comment by Aparna— February 11, 2011 #
LOVE this idea! The cherry chocolate spoons are such a cute presentation, and I bet they taste fantastic swirled into a mug of hot almond milk.
Comment by Lauren— February 11, 2011 #
Such a cute treat!
Comment by VeggieGirl— February 11, 2011 #
Is there any non-alcoholic option to replace the Natural Maraschino Cherries?
Comment by Glauce— February 11, 2011 #
The natural version that I linked to actually have no alcohol- Just check labels. :)
Comment by Hannah (BitterSweet)— February 11, 2011 #
Thanks! It’s just cause in Italian “maraschino” is always related to the liqueur and we thought it would be the same, silly me and Matteo :P
Comment by Glauce— February 11, 2011 #
Omg those are adorable!
Comment by Jenny— February 11, 2011 #
I love it! Yes, you always have to do something different, don’t you :)
Comment by Alisa Fleming— February 11, 2011 #
This is brilliant!
Comment by Vegyogini— February 11, 2011 #
Sooo….that looks amazing. Just saying. ;)
Comment by Vic (The Life)— February 11, 2011 #
This is so creative and beautiful! Well done!
Comment by Carla— February 11, 2011 #
That is adorable! I’ve actually really been craving hot chocolate…would it be weird if I made these for myself for V-Day?
Comment by Joanne— February 11, 2011 #
Seriously? That is SO CUTE! I LOVE this idea! But then again, what do you make that isn’t “so cute” ?
Comment by Morgan— February 11, 2011 #
These are too cute and so orignal.
Comment by JoLynn-dreaminitvegan— February 11, 2011 #
Perfect! I LUV this idea!! What a great gift these would make. Y’know, I’m positive that I saw Tillen Farms products and these cherries, too, at Pike’s Place Market in Seattle. I didn’t try them, darn.
Comment by cherylk— February 11, 2011 #
You’re too much. I LOVE!!!
Comment by lauren— February 11, 2011 #
Loving this Hannah! Too cute.
Comment by peabody— February 11, 2011 #
Hannah, your creativity and your skills to take photos just wows me every time. And I always think it can’t be better than this and yet you blow my socks away. The recipe itself best and simple.
Comment by sensiblecooking— February 11, 2011 #
Those are awesome! I would love to have one right now. I guess I can make them. I like the instant gratification possibility though.
Comment by Lu— February 11, 2011 #
What a beautiful idea! I will try to create a variation for Easter. My niece and nephews would love it.
Comment by veganlisa— February 11, 2011 #
Oh, these are just the sweetest things I’ve seen all day, Hannah! And considering how much I love almond extract, cinnamon, and chocolate (surprise there, right?) these are right up my alley.
Comment by Hannah— February 12, 2011 #
These look so adorable! this is such a great gift idea!
Comment by A Tablespoon of Liz— February 12, 2011 #
These look so good!
Comment by Melomeals: Vegan for $3.33 a Day— February 12, 2011 #
These are a wonderful idea indeed! Almost as wonderful as your photos. Will you be my virtual Valentine? ;D
Comment by Amber Shea @Almost Vegan— February 12, 2011 #
These sound amazingly good, and those photos blow my mind. So. Gorgeous.
Comment by Sarah (Flavoropolis)— February 13, 2011 #
Wow, those look great and so easy to make. I love it! I had no clue there was such a thing as natural maraschino cherries. And biodegradable spoons. Awesome, well thought out idea all around! :-)
Comment by chow vegan— February 13, 2011 #
I’ve been wanting to try this idea for a long time, but you’ve really taken it to the next level with the adorable heart shape and bright red cherries. Just fabulous!
Comment by Xiaolu @ 6 Bittersweets— February 13, 2011 #
[...] out BitterSweet Blog for the full recipe and instructions. It’s not too late to make a sweet treat [...]
Pingback by Chickabug » Blog Archive » Happy Valentine’s Day!— February 14, 2011 #
I am seriously in love with this idea and can’t wait to try it!! Thanks Hannah, and Happy Valentine’s Day to you!
Comment by Faith— February 14, 2011 #
mmmmm why do I love maraschino cherries so much? Now I want to go out and buy a jar! Ironically I think we are having our warmest yet! It’s in the 40′s out and everything is melting! So crazy!
Comment by stephchows— February 14, 2011 #
you’ve got a gift for beautiful and adorable foods! love this :) happy valentine’s day!
Comment by rachel— February 14, 2011 #
These look so good!! Thanks for sharing :)
Comment by Terrie— February 15, 2011 #
I love Valentine’s Day desserts, and yours looks so, so delicious! You should really consider submitting this to Recipe4Living’s Valentine’s Day Recipe Contest!
Comment by Sophia— February 15, 2011 #
so cute!
Comment by huntfortheverybest— February 15, 2011 #
So cute- you are quite the clever girl!
Comment by Lori— February 16, 2011 #
Do you know if this would work with regular “silver” spoons? Great for a party :)
Comment by Holly— February 25, 2011 #