FRENCH MIKADO CHOCOLATE BISCUIT

Steps:

• Mix the condensed milk with the water in a bowl.
• In a large bowl pour the flour and add salt, sugar, baking powder and soft unsalted butter.
• Use your finger to rub the butter into the flour mix. Keep rubbing until it looks like cornmeal. It take around 5 minutes.
• Add the condensed milk mixture and blend well to create a 'ball'.
• Transfer the dough into plastic wrap.
• Refrigerate for 20 minutes. Do not leave it longer or the dough will become really hard and it will be impossible to roll out.
• Preheat the oven at 200°C.
• Remove the dough from the fridge and divide the dough in small balls (size of a walnut).
• Roll each ball into a 20 cm long stick with the thickness of a chopstick. Make sure that all your stick have similar size. If you have 2 different size cook them on separated baking sheet. Large stick required a longer cooking time.
• Transfer your stick into a baking sheet.
• Cook for 8-10 minutes at 200°C or until the stick are golden brown.
• Let them cool for at least 2 hours before covering them with chocolate. I usually leave them 12 hours but you do not have too wait so long.
• First you have to prepare a stick holder. It is where the covered stick biscuit will stand to cool down. I took an empty box of nappies (of course you can use any other packaging shoes box, eggs cages, pizza box etc) and I drilled holes with a scissors.
• Melt chocolate in the microwave. The best way to do not overcooked the chocolate is to melt it 30 seconds then mix well with a teaspoon. Start again until the chocolate is melted, shiny and not too warm (you should be able to dip a finger inside without burning you). It took 2 minutes with my microwave but it depends on yours.
• Use a pastry brush. Dip the brush in the melted chocolate and cover ¾ of the stick biscuit.
• Keep the stick few seconds head down to let the extra chocolate to flow.
• Twist if it is it flowing and stand on the cake stand.
• Repeat for each stick.
• The thickness of chocolate depends on taste. The original recipe contain only a thin layer of chocolate.
• At this stage you could be creative and add some sprinkles on the chocolate.
• Leave them on the stick stand for 3 hours at room temperature. Do not put them in the fridge or the dark chocolate will turn white.