My Favorite Chocolate Recipes

So I just taught a class on some of my favorite chocolate recipes for the ladies in my church. By no means am I an expert, but it was a lot of fun. I tried to get these on here before Easter, but blogger wouldn't cooperate. I guess I am going to have to re-type everything because it doesn't seem to like text copied from Word. So here goes... Let me know what you think if you decide to try any. There are all pretty easy, just don't blame me for increased padding on your hips :) (evil laugh)!This is the plate of various chocolate treats I took to our family get together.(It turns out we have quite a bit of extended family on Luke's side living in Vegas so that is fun. They are so nice to include us right of the bat!) I joked that I had trouble making friends so I had to "buy" my friends with chocolate. *A secret I will always cherish: You can never lose with chocolate!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Ritz Crackers: Sandwich peanut butter between two Ritz crackers and dip in chocolate. Set on wax paper to harden. Can decorate before cool. Whalah: win/win situation= sweet + salty!

Oreo Suckers: Double stuff oreos work best but can do it with normal too. Open oreos. Dip sucker stick in chocolate and insert into cream filling almost half way up and then replace top of cookie. Let harden. Then dip sucker cookie in chocolate and set on wax paper. Decorate and embellish with sprinkles, candies, etc. before it hardens. Can also decorate with differently colored chocolate after it sets. These make really fun and easy gifts. I did mine for baby shower favors. The ladies all loved them. Yummy!
Cake Pops: Follow directions to make cake balls (below) but form into desired shape. Insert sucker stick dipped in chocolate a little less than half way into ball. After cooling for several hours, dip sucker in chocolate and roll and tap excess off. Let stand in styrofoam block. Decorate with candy pieces, crystals, etc. using chocolate or corn syrup for glue. See www.bakerella.blogspot.com for cute ideas. Here is a picture of her Easter ones:

Here is a picture of my first try at cake pops. It was hard to get the eggs shaped pretty. I didn't cool them long enough. And I didn't have a paintbrush to paint the corn syrup on straight, but oh well they turned out cute and yummy still. I definitely need a lot more practice to even come close to bakerella's. Maybe next holiday. For now I am chocolated out- if that can even be possible.

Here are my favorite chocolate candy recipes:

I got these from Bakerella's Website too. I haven't tasted these exact ones but I can't wait to try them. We did strawberry cake mix with white chocolate at our class and they were soo yummy. I also took them to an Easter get together last Saturday and they were a huge hit. No matter what they turn out like, you know they will be eaten!!


And LASTLY: CHOCOLATE BOWLS!!!!

Blow up small balloon to desired bowl size and dip in warm NOT HOT melted chocolate. (I did it when my chocolate was too hot and YES... my balloon POPPED all over me and my kitchen. I am still finding harden chocolate splatter. I didn't know why and so I tried again and... duh! it popped again. That's when it hit me that the hot chocolate melted the balloon. So to avoid Hollie's blunders, let chocolate cool a little first.) You can coat balloon however you want i.e. jagged like cracked egg, use spoon to make lattice/lacey edge or just a cute diagonal dip. Just make sure you get it thick enough or balloon will not peel away from it.
After dipping. Put small disk of chocolate on wax paper and set balloon on it. Then stick in freezeer for 10 minutes. After hardened, take out and poke small hole in top with pin and let it self-deflate. Don't let it POP because your balloon will break. Pull balloon away from sides of bowl and tada... chocolate bowl deluxe!! Fill with treats, fruit, or ice cream. So fun and easy to make with kids too.

Put this ice cream bowl on a plate and drizzle chocolate syrup over the top and running onto the plate and you would have aestetically delicious dessert. TryThe next kind I want to try is this lattice bowl by wrapping the inside of a bowl with plastic wrap and then drizzling melted chocolate back adn forth over it. Can't wait to try it. It would be cool in brown and white chocolate together. * I used chocolate almond bark, white and brown, for all of these recipes except the reeses. It uses chocolate chips. Melt it in 30 second intervals stirring in between. Never add water or water based food coloring. Can add vegeatable oil to thin out if needed.
** And since I am working with food storage in my church, I just have to add that comfort foods (i.e. chocolate) are important too. But definitely not #1 priority, just #2- right after water! (don't believe me on this)