Plymouth Woman Wins In Special State Fair Chocolate Contest

If you like smores you'll love Kathleen Lockwood's Ghirardelli Dipped Marshmallow Squares (On a Stick).

The Plymouth resident entered her chocolate recipe for the Ghirardelli Chocolate Championship at the 2012 Minnesota State Fair. That and several other special competitions are for everyday folks, not professional chefs and bestow bragging rights and other accolades to the top finishers.

Lockwood's Dipped Marshmallow squares earned her a runner up title with a $100 cash award. Lisa Silmser of Champlin took first place with a “Hot Chocolate Splash Cake.” Her blue ribbon winning creation featured a rich two-layer cake and medallions made with melted white, milk and bittersweet chocolate.

Lockwood's recipe could also be called “Inside Out S’mores” as they have melted marshmallows in between graham crackers, with rich and creamy chocolate on the outside. As one of the top finishers in the Ghirardelli Chocolate Championship at the Minnesota State Fair, Kathleen won a $100 prize from Ghirardelli and a gift basket loaded with their baking line, plus an award ribbon and apron. Nearly 70 people delivered entries for judging.

Lockwood said she loves Ghirardelli chocolate as she “grew up on it” in California and has been dipping just about everything in it for more than 25 years.

She first started dipping dried fruits, nuts and candy canes for the holidays and as special gifts for people and soon graduated to dipping marshmallows, bananas and sandwich cookies.

Here is Lockwood's award winning recipe:

Ghirardelli Dipped Marshmallow Squares (On a Stick)

12 graham crackers

12 Marshmallows

2 bags Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate baking chips

12 wood craft sticks or lollipop sticks

1 bag of Ghirardelli White chocolate baking chips (optional)

Colored Sprinkles (optional)

Prep time: 5 minutes. Total time: 60 minutes. Yield 12 servings

You will need a small deep glass bowl about 6” wide, 2 cookie sheets covered with wax paper or plastic wrap, tongs, scraper or spoon and a microwave.

Directions: Break graham crackers in half.  Place 1 cracker in the microwave with 1 marshmallow on top, lying on its side in the middle of the cracker. On high, cook for 8-9 seconds remove carefully.  With stick flatten and spread marshmallow evenly on cracker. Place the stick in the center hanging out the bottom end. Place other half of cracker on top and place on cookie sheet. Repeat until all 12 Squares are done. 

Let Squares set for 10 minutes. Melt milk chocolate in glass bowl according to package directions. Once chocolate is melted, take each cracker and place stick side up down into chocolate while gently holding stick. Spoon the chocolate over the cracker. Rotate bowl making sure to get all sides of cracker covered. Do not use stick to rotate cracker. You may loosen the marshmallow. Place chocolate covered Squares back on to covered cookie sheet. 

Repeat process until all Squares are complete. Let them sit for 30 minutes in very cool place. You can refrigerate for 10-15 minutes to set chocolate.  Decorate with melted white chocolate and sprinkles.  For individual gifts, place in cellophane bags and tie with colored ribbon.

(Information provided by Blue Ribbon Group press release.)