Chocolate-Lace Lollipops with Dried Fruit & Nuts

This sweet delight is a classic combination of chocolate and dried fruit, but in the form a pretty lollipop. The beautiful and unique chocolate bouquet for your Valentine!



To change things up a bit look for dried fruits that are bit out of the ordinary, such as pineapple and mango. Having said that, these are delicious made with fat golden raisins or dried strawberries.



Makes: 10 lollipops
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Resting time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 oz. dark chocolate (70% cocoa), chopped
• mixed dried fruit, such raisins, cranberries, cherry, apples
• chopped nuts, such pistachios, coconuts
• wood sticks

Directions:

On two or three sheets of parchment paper, draw ten 2 3/4-inch circles, and place the paper to the other side (you still can see the circles, right?).

Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, making sure the base of the bowl does not touch the water (this setup is called a "double boiler"). Allow the chocolate to melt, stirring occasionally, until it all melts. Remove the bowl from the heat and let it cool for 10 minutes.

Fit a piping bag with a small plain tip fill the bag with the chocolate.

Place a lollipop stick on each circle with one end of the stick at the very center of the circle. Using the circles as a guide, pipe overlapping lines of chocolate in swirls, making sure you stay inside the lines. Scatter dried fruit and nuts on the lace of chocolate. Pipe a little more of the chocolate on a top of the fruits and nuts so the are well attached. Allow to set for 30 minutes in cool place before carefully detaching the chocolate lollipops from the paper.