DIY // Hot Chocolate Gift Idea

We're back with another festive DIY idea! This time we've got the perfect stocking filler; a hot chocolate gift set. My favourite recipe for homemade hot chocolate has to be from Jamie Oliver's Drinks Tube (watch here). It's so thick and chocolatey and you can even make it with different flavoured chocolate - we've tried chocolate orange, peppermint and even chilli! Yum yum. This makes enough to fill a jar like this one here which makes lots of hot chocolate. You're best to watch the video to see how amazing it looks but here's a summary of the recipe.

You will need:

• 200g dark chocolate 
• 100g cocoa powder
• 100g icing sugar
• 50g cornflour
• 50g malted drink powder (like Horlicks)
• pinch of salt

Method:

1. Pop the chocolate in food processor and blitz until it becomes a fine powder.
2. Add remaining ingredients to food processor and pulse a few times until combined.
3. Pour mix into a lidded jar and you're done! Finish with twine and a festive gift tag.
4. To make into hot chocolate measure a mug of milk into a saucepan and add two heaped tablespoons of the mix. Whisk on a medium heat for 5 mins and it will become thick and smooth, ready for you to top with your favourite hot chocolate toppings!

This makes a lovely gift when given with a pretty mug and marshmallows, or how about including it in a mini hamper for chocolate lovers? You could make it even more special by having a personalised mug made to go with it, like ours (pictured above) available here.

I hope you like this gift idea! Do you make a lot of gifts at Christmas?

 

February Places: Almondine

Almondine opened their first Patisserie on Thistle Street in Aberdeen just before Christmas. I'd had their yummy macarons before so knew I had to go but it was just a case of finding the time - in January I was lucky enough to make it down twice. The atmosphere is so relaxed; a simple colour palette of silvers, baby blues and dove greys makes it feel so fresh and delicate. I love the attention to detail with the silverware too - little candles on the tables and silver pots for tea and hot chocolate. Their signature hot chocolate is truly the best I've tasted, served with a carafe of water since it's very rich! The choice of patisseries changes but there are always macarons in a selection of colours and flavours. They are all so pretty you'll be spoilt for choice! The little Almondine printed chocolate is such a nice touch, and tasty too. This time I chose the chocolate eclair, which was perfect with the proper chocolate crème patissière filling - I have to admit that it was a little bit of a chocolate overload but that's my fault for having hot chocolate with a chocolate based treat! The macarons can be taken away in a cute branded box of 7 which would be a lovely Valentine's gift.

I'm already planning my next visit, maybe an evening as it looks like it would be so cosy on a cold night. Almondine is open Monday to Thursday 8am-6pm, Friday 8am-7pm and Saturday 10am-7pm. You can find them on Facebook or check out their website below:

http://www.almondine.co.uk/

Day four in York

Shopping and hot chocolate breaks seem to be the theme of this holiday! We found a cosy place by the market which sells lots of flavours of hot chocolate, we had hazelnut and banoffee... mmm. I had to share some photographs of the most magical shop I've ever been in - the Yorkshire Soap Co. We found it by following bubbles to their source of the bubble machine at the door. The whole shop was pastel pinks and vintage, cakestands, grand piano, chandeliers, ribbons, frills and a soundtrack which could have been disney fantasia! They have glitter cake soaps that look too good to eat, let alone dissolve. I bought a couple of bars as presents (ssh) but may have to go back and treat myself to a lavender cake slice soap. We bought this print of the snowy York Minster to go on the holiday wall back home, along with a plastic frame in Urban Outfitters. A frosty feel to remind us of this winters break.