This is a craft for the mamas. I did this at midnight. No little helpers. No phones ringing. Just me and the wine and the dark chocolate. Shall we begin?
Think of someone special you want to surprise. Buy them a fabulous bottle of red wine. Then buy a huge chunk of dark chocolate (we used a one pound bar from Trader Joes). It helps if the maker has a glass of wine as well and fingers clean enough for licking.
Wrap your bottle of wine in plastic cling wrap while your dark chocolate is melting in the double boiler.
Tie some ribbon on the bottle in a U-shape from the bottom with both end up over the top. (I used thick gosgrain ribbon which I don't recommend. I think a thin curling ribbon would work much better. You live and learn, right?) Then wrap your ribbon ends up and out of the way so they don't get covered in chocolate.
Next use a rubber spatula to coat chocolate over your wine bottle from the top down. You don't want to do the bottom inch or two just yet. Coat it on nice and thick and then set it in the freezer (this is why you leave the bottom dry for now) and let it set for 10 minutes. While you wait, have a glass of wine and lick the spatula.
Then take the bottle out and dip the bottom portion into the melted dark chocolate. You can hear the wine bottle exhale when you do this, ahhhhhhh. Use the spatula to evenly coat several layers on the bottle. Have some wax paper ready to set the bottle down on when you're finished. You can let it set on your counter or fridge or freezer.
(I had chocolate left over so I grabbed what I had around the galley which happened to be almonds and coated them in the remaining chocolate.)
Again, my ribbon and bow choice turned out pretty awkward... but here is the final product. The idea is that the person unties the ribbon and pulls it down, thus breaking the chocolate off to eat while enjoying their wine.
Seriously, what's not to love?
