If your teeth are starting to ache just looking at chocolate, but are worried about how all that festive chocolate is going to get eaten (you wouldn’t want to waste it after all), you’re not alone.

Instead of watching it sit on the kitchen counter, or scoffing it all just to get rid of it, here are a few ideas for using it up, with options for freezing and saving it for later.

Make cookie dough
You might be filled to the brim at the moment, but in a week or so, your sweet tooth might be back, and then some cookie dough will come in handy. Whip up your favourite cookie dough recipe, stuffed with chopped chunks of leftover chocolate, and roll your dough into a log shape.

Pop it in the freezer (you can even slice it into rounds, so your cookies are already formed), and next time you really get a sugar craving, these will be ready and waiting to be brought to life in a hot oven.

Whip up some ice cream
If you’re lucky enough to have an ice-cream maker, it might be time to churn up a batch of homemade chocolate ice cream to save up for later. Go one better than choc chip and mix in odds and ends from your chocolate stash.

Chocolate ice cream scoop

Do a big batch of rocky road
You can freeze it, store it for later, give it to the kids or as gifts – and it’ll use up leftover chocolate as well as chocolate biscuits. All you need is butter, golden syrup, crushed biscuits and the dregs from your selection pack and you’ll be sorted. Top them with roughly-chopped nuts for bonus points.

Drink it
You might be sick of eating chocolate, but what about drinking it? For a really decadent hot chocolate, grate your best leftover dark chocolate bar into a pan with milk, heat through until molten and fully blended, pour into a mug, add whipped cream and drink. A nip of something stronger wouldn’t go amiss either.

Tray bake some flapjacks
For some reason, flapjacks always feel like a healthier snack option than a handful of chocolate coins – despite all the syrup in them.

Arguably, all those oats do keep you going for longer, so make a tray and stud them with festive choccies, then wrap in cling film and freeze until the time comes when your cups of tea aren’t constantly accompanied by a handful of Roses.