Holiday Cookies Always A Disaster? Wow Your Family And Friends By Making These Easy, No-Bake Custom Chocolates
Posted on: 10 December 2015
Some people enjoy baking holiday cookies, while others love the idea, but just don't have the knack for baking. Preparing batch after batch of those old family cookie recipes can also turn your kitchen into a flour-covered disaster zone that you just hate cleaning up. If you would love to create fun, delicious treats for your family and friends this holiday season, but don't consider yourself a great baker or simply hate cleaning up the mess, then why not make some easy, customized chocolates for friends and family instead? Read on to learn the basics of chocolate making and how to tweak the basic instructions to create custom batches of chocolates for each person on your holiday gift list.
Custom Chocolate Making Supplies
You need very few supplies and ingredients to make delicious, homemade chocolate creations. Getting started is as easy as gathering the following supplies:
Fun-shaped candy molds. If you want your chocolates to have fun, holiday shapes, then all you need are some fun candy molds. If you plan to fill the chocolates with goodies, then just make sure the molds have deep wells that can hold the chocolate and special fillings you plan to place in them. Alternatively, you can just use a mini-muffin tin with non-stick liners in each well as your mold.
Several types of chocolate. While the pros use chocolate wafers that can be purchased at baking supply stores, you can follow their lead or just pick up any chocolate available at your local grocery store, even solid chocolate bars that you can break into pieces and melt down. Just be sure to avoid any chocolate that is already soft to the touch when purchasing it, because after melted, it will only re-harden back to the same soft state that may not hold the shape of your mold or your chosen fillings well.
Double-boiler or glass bowl. If you heat the chocolate in a pan placed directly on your stove, then you run the risk of scorching it. Instead, you can place it in the top section of a double boiler (with the bottom filled with water), or, you can simply melt it in the microwave in a glass bowl.
Fun fillings. When filling your chocolates, almost anything goes. Dry items, like dried fruit and nuts, will be the easiest to work with, but if your chosen chocolate is very hard at room temperature, then it can also hold liquids and semi-solid items well. (Optional: Wooden candy sticks you can use to turn a batch into candy pops for the children.)
Food-safe paint brush. You can also find these at baking supply stores, but any non-toxic brush with bristles that can withstand high temperatures will work.
Once you gather your supplies, then you can officially start making chocolate candies!
Easy Basic Instructions
When making all custom chocolate creations, you will follow the same basic instructions, only varying the shape of your mold, the type of chocolate used, and the filling type.
- Begin each custom batch by setting aside the chocolate you will use, the mold, and the filling.
- Heat the chocolate in your double boiler or in the microwave until it is melted, then remove from heat.
- Paint the bottom of each mold with a thick layer of chocolate (remember this layer must be strong enough to support the weight of the filling, so don't paint too thin). Let this layer harden by placing it in the refrigerator for just a few minutes, or until it is solid to the touch. Don't leave it in longer than necessary, or it may crack when it warms up.
- Add the candy filling of your choice on top of the first candy layer and top the filling with another thick layer of chocolate, making sure this layer is in contact with the bottom layer of chocolate at the edges to form a tight seal.
- Let the final creations harden before gently turning the mold upside down on top of a piece of wax paper or other non-stick surface. You can then place the chocolates on a display tray or your chosen attractive packaging if you plan to give them away as holiday gifts.
Easy Creations for Everyone on Your Gift List
To really wow your gift recipients, make each one a custom creation instead of making the same chocolates for everyone. This extra effort and customization will really show just how much thought you put into creating the perfect batch for each and every love one.
Here are some easy ideas based on your gift recipients' tastes and dietary needs to get you started:
- Children: Snowman molds, white chocolate, and confetti-frosting filling. Insert craft sticks (there are special molds that have wells for these sticks) before painting down the first layer of white chocolate.
- Super-chocolate lovers: Mold of your choice, dark chocolate, and chocolate icing. Insert a nut in the middle of the chocolate icing for a fun surprise center.
- Caramel nut lovers: Round or square mold, milk chocolate, and melted baking caramel filling. After you pour the melted baking caramel in the center, stick several nuts inside, too, before topping with more chocolate. Drizzle more melted caramel on top after the chocolate has set.
- Daring: Mold of your choice, white chocolate, and a filing made of a dollop of maple syrup mixed with shelf-stable bacon bits. (Warning: Home-cooked bacon can be used, but only if the chocolates are stored in the refrigerator until they are consumed).
- Cherry-lovers: Round mold, dark or milk chocolate, and filled with a maraschino cherry.
- Health-minded or diabetic: Mold of your choice, sugar-free chocolate, and filled with dried fruit, healthy nuts, or sugar-free frosting. Alternatively, you can dip some fresh strawberries straight into melted chocolate and let them harden for an easy, healthy holiday treat.
Use these ideas as inspiration to create custom chocolates your recipients will love. Also, feel free to decorate the top layer of chocolate before it dries with colored sprinkles or other small, edible candy to make your chocolates look as great as they taste. As a final touch, you can gift the chocolates in custom chocolate boxes from a company like Abdallah Candies And Gifts.
If you hate baking cookies or simply don't have the knack for baking, then create fun, tasty custom chocolates to serve at parties or present as gifts this season. No oven and no headache required!
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