Last Minute Gifts-Chocolate Bites!

This is another quick and easy last minute gift idea-I always forget about the neighbours, so often end up making something last minute-this is this year’s…!

I got the idea for these while browsing Cathy’s fabulous blog Nurture Store, for ideas for Advent Activities.

Cathy’s homemade chocolates-image from NurtureStore

Cathy makes them with just melted chocolate, but I thought I would play around to try and get a slightly softer, but not too soft, bite! I have tried putting Nigell’as Express fudge in moulds before, with little success, as it is a bit too soft, so I tried changing the recipe a little, and it worked!

This is what you need:

• 300g milk chocolate
• 300g dark chocolate
• Tin of condensed milk
• 30g butter
• Whole hazelnuts
• Glace cherries
• Chocolate moulds-I’ve been racking my brain trying to think of an alternative you could use if you don’t have any moulds-if you have any silicone ice cube moulds, they would work well, but otherwise I’m a bit stumped! If anyone has any genius ideas, please let us know in the comments
• Saucepan, or double boiler (saucepan of water with a bowl sat on top)

This is what you do:

For the Milk Chocolate and Hazelnut Bites

• Put the milk chocolate, 15g butter, and 1/2 a tin of condensed milk into a saucepan and heat gently, stirring, until the chocolate has melted, and all the ingredients are combined
  
• Put a small ‘dollop’ into each of your moulds
• Place a whole hazelnut into each mould and push down (but not too far, otherwise the hazelnut will poke out of the top of your chocolate when it’s un-moulded)
  
• Cover the hazelnuts and fill the moulds with the rest of the chocolate mixture
  
• Scrape a knife over the top of the chocolates to neaten them up a bit
• Place in the fridge to chill for an hour
• Pop out of the moulds and into your mouth a jar, ready to gift

For the Dark Chocolate and Cherry Bites

• I did these in exactly the same way as the milk ones, BUT the chocolate went a bit grainy, so I think it would probably be better to do it in a double boiler
• Instead of the hazelnuts in the middle, pop a whole (or half if your moulds aren’t big enough) glade cherry
• Chill in the fridge, pop out and eat package up