Edinburgh Evening News 40 - Chocolate Hazelnut Lollipops

Judging by the response to previous recipes, chocolate is a real winner!! At the restaurant we serve chocolate and hazelnut lollipops as petit fours and they always go down a treat.

For a recipe where chocolate is centre stage it is always worth investing in good quality with at least 70% cocoa. The higher cocoa content means that the chocolate flavour won’t be lost with the addition of other ingredients. When it comes to working with chocolate it is important to be watchful of the temperature. Chocolate needs only a very gentle heat to melt. High heat will cause the chocolate to seize, split and go grainy and therefore a bain marie or water bath is your best friend in this recipe. Simply set a bowl containing the chocolate over a pan of gently simmering water and check that the base of the bowl is not actually touching the water.

This recipe is really adaptable; you could add different nuts or flavours. If you fancy just making chocolate and hazelnut truffles then simply forego the lollipop sticks!

Mother’s day is not too far away and these would make an ideal gift. They can be served at the end of a meal or packaged up nicely – the perfect way to say ‘Thanks Mum’.

Find the full recipe here.