Biscotti Hot Chocolate Sticks (with Marshmallows!)

Ever wanted the most convenient way to have hot chocolate with marshmallows and a cookie? Well say good bye to the boring days of hot chocolate on a stick, and welcome in these Biscotti Hot chocolate sticks with mini marshmallows included!

What a perfect Christmas gift, they're so simple, just stir into a mug of hot milk and viola ! you now magically have hot chocolate with marshmallows in it and a biscotti which is able to stand up to hot chocolate dipping! They're pretty simple to make and you can customize the flavours and add-ins of both the biscotti and the hot chocolate cube. So get baking!

Step 1: You Will Need

Ingredients 

For the Almond Chocolate Chip Biscotti

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/ tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt
3 large eggs
2 tbsp amaretto (or 1 1/2 tsp almond extract and 1 tbsp rum)
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup almonds , toasted then roughly chopped
1/2 cup chocolate chips

For the Hot chocolate Mixture

12oz dark chocolate
3/4 cup single cream
1/4 cup cocoa powder
3/4 cup powdered sugar
pinch of salt
1/4 to 1/2 cup mini marshmallows, cut in half

Equipment

large and small mixing bowl
a fork
measuring cups and spoons
a weighing scale (or, know the weight of your chocolate)
a 10.5 x 7 "  square pan (optional for more rectangular biscotti)
a cookie tray
baking paper
a large, sharp knife (preferably serrated)
a heatproof bowl
a small loaf pan
cling film (plastic wrap)
a medium pan
an oven

Step 2: Make the Biscotti

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F.
Line a 10.5 x 7 inch pan with parchment paper (if you want more rectangular biscotti), or a cookie tray (for a more traditional biscotti shape).

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and slat in a large bowl. In a small bowl or jug, quickly whisk together the eggs, amaretto (almond extract and rum) and vanilla with a fork. Add this to the flour mixture along with the almonds and chocolate chips. stir together using the fork until fully combined.

Either pour the mixture into the baking pan, then spread and flatten with wetted hands; Or scrape the dough out onto the cookie tray and shape with wetted hands into a 9.5 - 10 x 6 inch log.

Bake for 50 minutes, remove from the pan / cookie sheet to a cooling rack and then let it cool completely (you don't want the chocolate chips to be all melty and spread everywhere when you cut the biscotti).

Cut the log straight across, not diagonally, into 20, 1/2 inch thick slices. Place them cut side down onto a lined cookie tray. Bake again at 300 degrees F for 20 minutes, turn them over so the other cut side is now face down on the tray, and bake for a further 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.

Step 3: Make the Hot Chocolate Mixture

Line a 11 x 3 to 4 inch loaf pan with cling film. (or what ever size loaf pan you have)

Melt the chocolate in a heat proof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Take the bowl off the pan and stir in the cream.
Stir in the cocoa powder, powdered sugar and salt. Scoop the mixture into the lined pan and push in the mini marshmallows, whilst spreading it and smoothing it. Push in the biscotti into the chocolate mixture, leaving about 3/4 inch between them.

Let cool and set for about 2 hours.

Using the cling film, remove the whole thing from the tin. Peel off the cling film and use a sharp knife to cut the mixture into squares, with a biscotti in the middle of each square. Wrap them individually in cling film or plastic bags.

Step 4: To Make Hot Chocolate

Heat a medium mug-full of milk in a small pan until steaming, pour into a medium mug. Put the biscotti hot chocolate stick into the milk, just up to the top of the chocolate cube (basically with as little of the biscotti in the milk as possible). Stir until the chocolate melts off of the biscotti, remove the biscotti and leave the mug for a little while to let the chocolate melt completely before stirring it into the milk using your biscotti or a spoon.