CHOCOLATE NEW YEAR'S HOURGLASS RECIPE!

   COUNTING DOWN the minutes until the start of 2012 will be sweet indeed…if you include this chocolate treat among your festive decorations! The hourglass confection is the work of our kitchen crew, who reveals that the design tastes as good as it looks. That’s right—it’s completely edible! And, though it appears time-consuming, the figure is easy to make.Mostly, it’s a matter of forming cones from chocolate using kitchen funnels, then assembling the pieces.

1 Servings

Prep: 45 min. + chilling

45 45

Ingredients

• 
  Materials needed:
• 1 pound white candy coating, melted
• 1/2 pound milk chocolate candy coating, melted
• 2 large pretzel sticks (each 7 inches long x 3/8 inch wide)
• White candy coating curls and shavings, optional
• 
  Two plastic funnels (each about 4 inches wide)
• 
  Waxed paper
• 
  Masking tape
• 
  Small metal spatula
• 
  Bowl
• 
  Cup or glass
• 
  Sharp knife
• 
  Pastry brush
• 
  Serving plate
• 
  Foil doily (optional)

Directions

• Directions: Place waxed paper over tube end of each funnel; seal with masking tape. Spoon white candy coating into funnels and spread with spatula as shown in photo A at left, forming an even layer on all surfaces.
• Invert funnels over a bowl and tap gently to release excess coating. Turn upright and balance funnels in cups or glasses. Refrigerate for 5 minutes. Repeat coating and chilling process twice (tube ends should be completely filled after all layers are complete). After the third layer, chill for 15 minutes or until completely set.
• Remove tape and waxed paper from tube ends. Gently push shell away from the tube end toward the cone. Holding the outside of the funnel with one hand and the inside with the other, twist shell a quarter turn to release the funnel (see photo B above right). Place cone side down on waxed paper. With a sharp knife, cut ends to within 1/4 inch of cone and discard; set cones aside.
• Draw two 6-inch circles on a piece of waxed paper and place on a greased baking sheet. Evenly spread thick milk chocolate candy over each circle (see photo C above right). Refrigerate for 5 minutes. Remove waxed paper; return circles to waxed paper and set aside.
• Dip pretzels into milk chocolate coating and place on waxed paper to set. Drizzle with white coating.
• ASSEMBLY: If desired, place doily on serving plate. Place one chocolate circle on doily, smooth side up. Brush the edges of one cone with white coating and attach to chocolate circle.
• Brush a small amount of white coating on the tube end of one funnel; attach tube ends of both funnels together (see photo D at right). Hold for 1 minute; let set. Brush edges of second cone with coating and place second chocolate circle on top, rough side up; let set.
• With a sharp knife, cut pretzels to fit between the circles, about 6-1/4 inches. Brush milk chocolate coating on pretzel ends and attach to each side of hourglass. Garnish top and plate with curls and shavings if desired. Yield: Yield: 1 hourglass.
  
  Editor’s Note: White and milk chocolate confectionery coating is
• found in the baking section of most grocery stores. It is sometimes labeled
• “almond bark” or “candy coating” and is often sold in bulk packages of 1 to 1-1/2 pounds. Finished size: Hourglass is 6 inches wide x 6-1/2 inches high. the white confectionery coating with food coloring to match the decorating scheme for your party. You can also make matching “glasses” for each guest. Simply follow the instructions and use slightly smaller fun funnels, remembering not to break off the long narrow ends that
• form when you pour chocolate into the funnels. They will serve as stems for the glasses. Also, make smaller chocolate circles to serve as glass bases.