Put a Picture Surprise in Your Valentine's Box of Chocolate

Avery and I made this picture surprise for my mom for Valentine's Day.  She helped me pick the pictures and arrange the chocolates back into the box.  I'm thinking of having her draw on the chocolate box cover too to make it special for Grandma.

I simply printed some pictures from my laser printer and cut them to the shape of the chocolate.  Avery put the chocolate back in their corresponding hole (i did have to stop her from eating the chocolate herself).

Chocolate Dipped Panda Gummy Bears

I've been wanting to make these chocolate covered gummy bears for my cousin Panda for a while now. Yes, I have a cousin named Panda, yes, like the bear, and no her parents didn't name her after a black and white bear. Her name was just lost in translation. In my previous posts I showed you how to make white chocolate covered gummy bears and dark chocolate covered gummy bears.  These panda bears use the same technique as the white chocolate covered gummy bears but I also painted them with cocoa powder.  I thought it would be easy to make paint the black onto the panda bears, but it was difficult to paint white chocolate.  It took multiple coats of cocoa powder (with a wet brush), so I only made her four panda ones and labeled the package albino mix.  I also wished the cocoa powder was more black than brown.  I will have to try with food coloring pens next.

The links above show you how to dip the gummy bears (with pictures), but in case you're lazy here is the basic how to:
Materials:
20 to 30 gummy bears
6 oz of white or dark chocolate chips or cut up chunks
1 tbs of butter or shortening (if chocolate is too thick) optional
mug
spatula
foam board
toothpicks

Place about 6 oz of chocolate chips in microwave safe mug.
Heat in microwave for 30 seconds on medium heat.
Take out and stir chocolate with spatula for 30 seconds. If chocolate is not melted enough heat again for 15 seconds and stir for another 30.  Do not overheat chocolate.  It will get lumpy.  If chocolate is melted but too thick you can add 1tbs of melted butter or shortening to the mixture.
Skewer the gummy bears with toothpicks and dip.  Stick toothpicks into foam board and let dry.

Boo! Chocolate Covered Gummy Bears Halloween Edition

I did a previous tutorial on how to make chocolate covered gummy bears. In the spirit of Halloween, I used white chocolate for the body and dark chocolate for the eyes to make ghostly chocolate covered gummy bears.

I'm actually not a fan of white chocolate, but my sister loves it. I decided to make her a batch of these ghostly gummy bears. Trader Joe's carries a white chocolate bar  that claims to me more chocolaty than regular white chocolate. I decided to give it a try. While it is not as good as dark chocolate, it actually tastes more like chocolate than other white chocolates.

White chocolate is harder to work with because it melts at a lower temperature so you can burn it if you are not careful.  When heating any chocolate for melting/dipping, over heating will destroy your chocolate. I usually melt chocolate in a mug (so that it retains the heat) in the microwave (easier clean up). For white chocolate, set the power to 5 and melt in 10 to 15 second intervals. If the chocolate comes out melted, it is probably already burnt. You want to heat it just to the point where when you start stirring, it comes together. It took me only 30 seconds of heating to melt this white chocolate. You do not need to add butter or shortening to this recipe, just straight chocolate, because white chocolate seems to be runnier.

White Chocolate from Trader Joe's.  It is better than most white chocolates out there.

Cut chocolate into equal sized chunks for even melting.  Pop in microwave for 15 seconds at power of 5.
Take out and stir.  If chocolate seems too hard then pop back in for 10 seconds at power of 5.

Melted white chocolate after a lot of stirring.  Skewer gummy bears for dipping with toothpicks.

Dip gummy bears into chocolate. Wait for them to dry.
Then melt a little dark chocolate and using a toothpick, paint the eyes.
 You could also use those edible ink pens to draw eyes.

Packaged for my sister.

Chocolate Covered Gummy Bears Recipe / How To

Chocolate covered gummy bears, 14 dollars a lb at Rocky Mountain Creamery, about 3 dollar a lb to make at home.

One bag of gummy bears.  I usually like Black Forest brand, but Target does not sell them so I opted for Market Pantry (Targets generic brand).

Skewer gummy bears with toothpicks.

1/2 cup chocolate in a microwave safe cup.  I like using a mug because it keeps in the heat.  

Place chocolate and butter in microwave and microwave for 40 seconds.
  Check mixture, by squishing the chocolate with a spatula.  Chocolate will not look melted but will squish when pressed.
 If not melted microwave in 10 second intervals mixing after each 10 seconds.  DO NOT OVERHEAT.
  Over heated chocolate will be clumpy.

Mix chocolate and start dipping bears.  If mixture gets thick then reheat for 10 seconds at most.

Let bears dry on foam board, or anything where the toothpicks can stand.  I used a foam board from an old package.

Dripping with chocolate.

Bear down!

Upsidedown.

Half Dipped

Fully Dipped

Skinny dipped.