hope your valentines weekend was happy. mine was unforgettable. the best ever. and glad to say, that not a day in february (correct. the whole month.) passed where there was a shortage of sweets. after all.. that is what february is all about. and with easter candy right around the corner. sweet anticipation grows for my all time favorite and ever so heavenly mini eggs. mmm. mini egg fanatic i am. my mouths watering now just thinking about them. ive decided to drag the valentine "holiday"-if you will- out until the end of the month. if you cant be cheesey cutesey lovey pink fluffy & sparkly during valentines, when can ya? definately taking advantage here friendsicles.
a unique treat for those of you who like these nifty kinda things. chocolate bowls filled with love and scrumptious-ness, down to the very core. the process of creating them was nothing less than magical. surprising. and undoubtedly memorable. would you believe me if i told you it can be done in just 5 easy steps? its true.
:: 5 easy steps ::
melt chocolate.
blow up a small balloon.
dip the balloon in the chocolate.
set dipped balloon on tinfoil or waxpaper.
after 20 minutes, pop balloon.
and wa-la. cocoa bowl you got it.
ok. ok. ill explain with a litttttle more detail than that. but it doesnt take much.
point is. its simple. and wonderful. try it.
what youll need :
chocolate wafers ( they come in different colors for your choice )
balloons (small water bomb balloons work best )
a bowl. some wax paper or tin foil.
and a sharp item to pop your balloon.
thats it.
to prepare for this, you will want to have your balloons blown up and set aside. they will pick up dust.dirt.crumbs. whatever happens to be sharing surface space with them at the given time. so do yourself a favor, and wipe down your work area with a damp cloth before you get started. i have used tinfoil.wax paper. and one time even a large zipblock bag (deperate times call for desperate measures) in the past as my drying.setting sheet for the balloons that have just been dipped in the melted chocolate. they all worked fine for me. so have a sheet of tinfoil.waxpaper. set out aside. you are now ready for the shiny. sparkling. enchanted fun to begin. yes.
::directions::
in a deep yet small bowl, melt your chocolate wafers. i tend to use about half a bag of these, purchased from a.c moore. melt them for a minute and 30 seconds. give or take. take your bowl out, and place it down right beside your drying sheet, for less of a mess. take your balloon. one at a time. and holding the knoted end, dip the balloon (a little more than half of it) in the chocolate. Place balloon on drying sheet and hold it for 2 seconds while it sticks in place on surface. repeat with other balloons. wait about 20 minutes to be safe and sure that your chocolate has dried and hardened. you will notice the chocolate has gone from shiny.to.dull while drying. good sign. now heres where the magic plays in. POP your balloon once it is completely dry. pull lightly up on deflated balloon, while holding the chocolate mold. and there you have it! fill with treats. chocolate pretzel sticks. m&ms. ice cream. whipped cream. nothing. whatever you choose! sprinkle them down. glitz them up. enjoy the glorious cocoa bowls.
pretzels also made with that same kind of chocolate. melt your chocolate, dip pretzels in, and decorate. in the past, i have rolled them in oreo crumbs, shredded coconut, heath, candy cane, and sprinkles. personal favorite? definately the oreo rolled. to decorate them with chocolate drizzled over, or poka dots, or writing like the ones pictured above - i melt the chocolate. transfer it to a zip block bag. make a tiny little opening in one corner of the bag and use that as my decorating tool. it works fantastic.
No comments:
Post a Comment