Today's sweet treat from Theresa Nguyen of The Gook is inspired by a simple trip to the Asian grocer!  Here Theresa rekindled her childhood love of chocolate 'Pocky' sticks... and teamed them with confectionary moulds from awesome Japanese $2.00 store Daiso to create a super 'kawaii' (ie. cute!) triple chocolate lollipop treat!  The perfect creative culinary project for the young, or young at heart - Lucy.

Choco Pocky Pops by Theresa Nguyen / The Gook, photo - Phu Tang, styling - Gemma Lush.  Plate by Dinosaur Designs.

I’m one of those people who spends at least an hour in an Asian grocer. It’s like the best pantry I’ve ever set foot in. I walk up and down the aisles, very slowly, examining as many products as I can, while looking for inspiration for my next recipe concoction.

My favourite aisle by far is the lolly aisle – it’s fascinating.  I get completely drawn in by the brightly coloured packaging, or by the zillion unusual flavour combinations. It was in the lolly aisle that I recently picked up my one of my all time favourite Asian sweet snacks - Pocky. These tiny thin sweet bread sticks dipped in chocolate are something I remember eating a lot of as a kid.

As soon as I dropped the Pocky pack into my basket, my mind bounced to the cutest ever chocolate mould I’d picked up from my other favourite Asian store, Daiso* a few days earlier. Within an instant, I’d put two-and-two together and the Choco Pocky Pop was born - right in the lolly aisle of an Asian grocer!

These Chocy Pocky Pops are a triple chocolate feast. The first chocolate hit is from the pop bit, the second from the pocky stick, then best and final chocolate hit – licking the chocolate all over your fingers. Pure deliciousness. No pesky sticks to throw out and you get to be a kid again, even it is for a brief moment.

*A Japanese dollar store also known as a 100 yen store. Every product is $2.80. Cheap and cheerful, plus the stock changes every few weeks! You may not find this exact mould design at your local Daiso. But I have also seen some great plastic ones at my local craft store too.

Choco Pocky Pops by Theresa Nguyen / The Gook, photo - Phu Tang, styling - Gemma Lush.

Ingredients

1 x lollipop mould, from your local Daiso store
80g your favourite chocolate, we used milk and white chocolate
1 packet of Pocky
1 packet of Hundreds and Thousands sprinkles

Method (Makes Four Pocky Pops)

Place silicon mould onto long tray or plate and place Pocky sticks into position. The tray should be long and deep enough so the Pocky sits level once placed onto mould.

Melt milk chocolate over double boiler. Double boiling is a process where you place your ingredients, in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of water on a low-medium heat. Chocolate can seize if heated too quickly, so watch the chocolate carefully and as soon as the chocolate has melted take the bowl off the heat.

Spoon the melted chocolate into the moulds, while also ensuring the Pocky sticks are completely covered in chocolate.

Sprinkle the back of the animal mould (i.e. the flat surface facing you) with hundreds and thousands.

Refrigerate until the chocolate has set, which usually takes about 30 minutes. Then take your kawaii creations out the mould carefully and keep them in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.

MASSIVE thanks to Theresa for joining us with her 'Sweet 'n Silly' desserts for the month of May!  For more recipes from Theresa, do check out her own brilliant food blog – The Gook!

Choco Pocky Pops by Theresa Nguyen / The Gook, photo - Phu Tang, styling - Gemma Lush.