December is the time for “giving,” and all that stuff, but more importantly, it’s the only time of year you’re fully entitled to enjoy sweets with delirious abandon. Cookies, pies, cakes, cheesecakes, eggnog, cider, fudge, and chocolates of all varieties are all on the menu during the holidays. One of the cutest chocolate confections to cross my path is the nonpareil. A chocolate bite, bespeckled with a frenzy of colorful sprinkles—it’s exactly the sort of thing you can send as a sweet Christmas tiding, or pile into a bowl on the coffee table for lucky passers-by. Here’s how you can make them at home.
What is a nonpareil?
Nonpareil translates to mean “incomparable,” or “nothing quite like it.” (Perhaps, not parallel? Whatever helps you remember it, sure.) As far as holiday treats are concerned, it's a tiny drop of chocolate with dozens of crunchy, round sprinkles stuck to the bottom, and it really is quite special. Pop one of these in your mouth and you’re immediately introduced to a textural phenomenon and itty-bitty sugar rush. The bittersweet chocolate becomes velvety as it melts in your mouth, and the sprinkles crackle between your molars. Nonpareils are small, colorful, and tasty, so you’ll want to make extra.
How do you make nonpareils at home?
It’s the sort of thing that seems like only a machine could make it, but it’s incredibly easy to duplicate in your home kitchen. You only need some semisweet or dark chocolate to melt, and a bottle of round sprinkles. I like the rainbow assortment, but you can buy all white, or a festive mix of red, white, and green.
Melt a quarter cup of chocolate chips in the microwave. Be sure to stir the chocolate every ten seconds or so, especially as it begins to melt. Pour the chocolate into a small piping bag, or into a zip-top bag. Seal or tie-off the bag you’re using.
Depending on how many nonpareils you’re making, pour the sprinkles into a dish, an overturned lid, or a baking sheet with a rim. I used an upside down cookie tin lid. You want to make a layer of sprinkles that’s deep enough where you can’t see the vessel underneath. You should be able to press your finger into the sprinkles lightly and leave a little indent.
Cut the corner off of the chocolate bag so the opening is only a couple millimeters wide. You can always cut it bigger, but you can’t go back. Start small so you’re not pouring chocolate everywhere. Twist the top of the bag to create some pressure, and holding the bag perpendicular to the surface of the sprinkles, pipe out small discs directly onto the sheet of sprinkles. Pipe out as many candies as you want. You’ll be able to do a second or third round once this batch cools. Put the entire sheet or plate of nonpareils into the refrigerator to solidify, about 20 minutes, depending on how large or small they are.
Once cool, you can pick up the chocolates out of the field of sprinkles. The melted chocolate clings to the sprinkles when you pipe out the candies and when the chocolate cools, the sprinkles are stuck. While little circles are the easiest and most common shape, you can pipe out any shapes you want. I made little candy canes, and I liked them very much. You could pipe out Christmas trees, angels, or letters too. Just remember to flip the letter when you write them if you intend on reading the sprinkle side.
Scatter these into the cookie tins you made for the neighbors, or keep them in a jar on the counter so you can have a nibble whenever you want. The way I see it, January’s cold reminder of responsibilities will come no matter what, so there’s no need to pace yourself. Eat the chocolate.