Making Mud Pie: Cocoa Blocks

Cocoa Blocks dusted in cocoa powder

This recipe comes from King Arthur Flour. I thought they sounded like a good idea for a small Christmas gift for friends and kids' teachers. I think most of them never made it to the cocoa stage; they were eaten just for the fun of it. Some I coated in cocoa powder, others I coated in crushed peppermint candy canes. Be warned, though, if you do the candy canes, you need to give them out and use them within a day or two because the candy starts to melt and look very unattractive.

½ cup heavy cream

14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk (1 1/4 cups)

3 cups semisweet or bittersweet chocolate (chopped chocolate bars or chips)

3/4 cup unsweetened baking chocolate

wooden sticks (I used corn skewers purchased at Smart & Final in SoCal)

Directions

1) Line an 8" x 8" pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil.

2) Heat the cream and condensed milk over low heat until steaming. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate; allow it to gently melt.

3) After about 10 minutes, return the chocolate mixture to low heat to completely melt the chocolate. Whisk vigorously until the mixture is thick and shiny. Add a few drops of flavoring oil if you like; hazelnut, coffee, or vanilla are popular flavors.

4) Pour the chocolate mixture into the pan; shake the pan gently to level. Sprinkle with cocoa, if desired. Set aside overnight to slowly set up.

5) Run a knife around the edge of the pan and turn out onto a clean cutting surface.

6) Slice into 1 ¼" cubes. Heat a knife in hot water and wipe dry before each cut, for smoothest cuts.

7) Stick a wooden stick into the center of each block.

8) Roll in cocoa or crushed peppermint candy, if desired.

9) Wrap in waxed paper, parchment, or plastic wrap to store.

Yield: about 3 dozen blocks.

Bagged for Christmas gifts