The Freshman Cook: Last Minute Valentine Gifts~Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix and Chocolate Dipped Thin Oreos

Valentine’s Day will be here on Sunday! Are you ready? These two, cute Last Minute Valentine Gifts are fast to put together, and anyone would love to receive them! The Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix is easy, and the Chocolate Dipped Thin Oreo’s are even easier! Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix

Printable Hot Chocolate Recipe

2 teaspoon Butter

3 envelopes unflavored Gelatin

1 cup Cold Water, divided

2 cups Sugar

1 cup Light Corn Syrup

1/8 teaspoon Salt

1 teaspoon Vanilla
Powdered Sugar
Milk Chocolate Bar

Chocolate Dipped Oreos

Printable Chocolate Dipped Oreos Recipe
Milk Chocolate~melted
Thin Oreo Cookies~mint flavor

Thin Oreo Cookies~original flavor
Candy Conversation Hearts
Heart Shaped Junior Mints Line a 13″x9″ pan with foil, and coat foil with butter.
Place 1/2 cup of water in a large mixing bowl that can handle a mixer. Sprinkle the gelatin over the water.
In a large heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup, salt and remaining water. Bring the mix to a boil. Cook until the candy thermometer reaches 240 degrees.
Carefully add the hot mix to the gelatin. Beat on high until the mix is thick and doubles in volume, about 15 minutes. Add the vanilla at 12 or 13 minutes of mixing.
Pour marshmallow mix into prepared pan. Cover with plastic wrap and let set up at room temperature for 5-6 hours.
Sprinkle a piece of parchment paper with confectioners sugar. Take the marshmallow and place it on the sugar. Lightly sprinkle the sugar on top of the marshmallow. Use a heart shaped cookie cutter, coated with pan spray to cut out heart shaped marshmallows. Place on a rack to dry.
You will need 2 1/2 ounces of chopped milk chocolate for each mug of hot chocolate. I chopped 5 ounces for 2 servings. Chop it as fine as you can. Small pieces will melt from the heat of the milk once it is prepared. I use Trader Joes Milk Chocolate, Pound Plus for the chocolate. It is a really good quality Belgium Chocolate that is easy to work with and tastes amazing.
Place the chocolate in one bag and the marshmallow in another. Add a tag and tie with ribbon. On the back of the tag write: Add piping hot milk and stir. Place them in a pretty mug.

Chocolate Dipped Thin Oreos:
Chop up approx. 6 ounces of milk chocolate.This makes 1 dozen.
Place in a double boiler, and melt over low heat until rich and creamy.
Use a small tong to dip the cookie into the chocolate, one at a time.
Place on parchment paper or wax paper that is on a plate that can go in the fridge.
Place the heart shaped Mints on the mint cookies, and the conversation hearts on the original cookies. Place in the fridge until chocolate has hardened.
Wrap in pretty packaging! Happy Valentine’s Day!