Dipping and Gifting (Day 7)

Mendiants, a small chocolate disk topped with pieces of candied or dried fruits and nuts. I am sure you  are going what?  It is simply a fine quality of chocolate melted and placed in a small circle on parchment paper with fruit and nuts added. I think I just repeated myself. It is my understanding that this is very European.  I have been doing this for years to use leftover melted chocolate when I was done with a project. Now I find out that it is very chic and Euro. The finished product is also very pretty. The chopped fruit and nuts on white or dark chocolate are very inviting. Today I chose to add candy sticks to my little circles to make chocolate pops. Easy is almost not adequate to describe how simple it is to make these candies.   You can vary the topping to accommodate your tastes. Children enjoy doing this.

4 ounces best-quality chocolate (white, milk, OR dark),

Nuts (walnuts, pecans, almonds, pine nuts, cashews, or others)

Dried fruits (do not use fresh, canned, or frozen fruit)

Line a baking sheet with or use parchment paper 

Place a tablespoon or teaspoon of the melted chocolate onto the parchment paper creating

a circle. Add your choice of topping. Only do 10 or 12 at a time. The chocolate needs to be soft

enough to press the fruit and nuts into the chocolate.


Assorted  fruit and nuts

 

Final mendiants

Without candy stick, add your favorite dried fruit and nuts

With candy stick, add your favorite dried fruit and nuts

Dipping and Gifting (Day 6)

Today homemade caramels dipped in chocolate and sprinkled with all kinds of toppings I can find in my stash. I have not been feeling well of late so I was concerned about standing over the stove and stirring caramel forever. I have been using the same recipe from a Betty Crocker cookbook for years and I have found it to be tried and true. I know there are other great caramel recipes out there so, I started my search. I came upon a microwavable caramel recipe. Yep, in the microwave… To add to my joy, it was the same recipe that I have been using for years. All I could think about is I have got to try it. No candy thermometers, no dead arm from stirring and hoping I don’t burn the caramel. I am so happy right now. It is in the microwave and so far it looks good and it smells good. This is the site where I found the instructions for microwave caramel. The title of the article is Gifts From the Kitchen. http://www.countryhome.com/recipes/seasonalholiday/giftsfromkitchen_3.html.
I hope I am not the only one that did not know about this heaven sent idea. If so, don’t tell me. Let me languish in my find. OK, back to the candy. I will dip some in chocolate and sprinkle with smoked sea salt flakes. The next set will have a whole pecan placed on top and drizzled in chocolate offering the unmistakable taste of the popular turtle candies and the last set I will dust with silver and gold sugar powder.Once the basic caramel is ready there are many options for candy.

Four candies, plain caramel wrapped in wax paper, caramel dipped in chocolate and decorated with candy transfer, caramel dipped in chocolate with a pecan on top and finally caramel dipped in chocolate and sprinkled with smoked sea salt. YUM!

Adding to the gift basket

You will need:

1 cup butter (no substitutions)

2 1/2 cups packed brown sugar

1 cup light-colored corn syrup

One 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk

1 tsp. vanilla

Parchment paper

Follow the microwavable instructions listed in the link above.

Cooking in the microwave, It works well.

Caramels in their plain and delicious  glory

 

Chocolate and salt

Chocolate and pecans

Candy transfer sheet

Dipping and Gifting (Day 5)

 OK, I am on day 5 of dipping stuff into chocolate. Well today is not exactly dipping but a close cousin to dipping. I made another one of my favorites.  I call them butter pecan ice cream because that is what the flavor reminds me of.  I mix a few drops of butterscotch candy flavoring into white chocolate  then add chopped pecans. Once I am satisfied with the desired taste, I pour into molds or place spoonfuls onto parchment paper making little chocolate disks. These are really good.  I place each molded chocolate into cellophane bag and tie a pretty ribbon.

Added these beauties to my now almost empty candy gift basket.  We had our family Christmas dinner on Sunday and everyone enjoyed choosing a nice chocolate gift.

I used a Christmas tree mold and a decorative round mold. The molds are inexpensive.

You will need: A good dipping chocolate.  As you can see, I love Ghirardelli Dipping chocolate

Pecans

Butterscotch candy flavoring

lollipop sticks

molds

Mixture with chopped pecans and flavoring. Melt the dipping chocolate according to package directions.

Add flavoring a little at a time, tasting as you work. Remember, you can always add but you can't take out.

Add chopped pecans as desired.

Wrong! Chocolate over flowing in mold will give the molded chocolate wings.

Right: molded chocolate will be a perfect tree.

Chocolate mixture on parchment paper. Just spoonfuls spread into a circle.

Dipping and Gifting (Day 4)

Marshmallows, a household standard for making rice krispie treats and smores. A versatile piece of fluff it is. Today we are making marshmallow snowmen.  Easy and fun for the kids.  Again simply melt the chocolate and dunk the marshmallows. The marshmallow snowmen has been a favorite at my company's Christmas party for years. We place three marshmallow on a candy stick, submerge the the skewered marshmallows into the white chocolate which is in a deep container that will allow for complete coverage.  The marshmallows are allowed to dry. After the snowmen are dry they are ready for decorating. The kids had a ball and we had to ward off the adults so the kids can decorate. The marshmallow snowmen will look great as an addition to a gift basket and your friends and family will love the little guys.

Aren't the snowmen cute in this basket. Guaranteed to be a hit. 

Again, very few items needed. Just time and a little patience.

Make sure that the white chocolate is placed in a deep container.

The deep container makes it easy to cover all of the marshmallows completely.

I use a simple water glass.

 Hm mm Yum!!!

They are not perfect looking, but still cute. Decorate with whatever you have on hand.

I used candy coated chocolates for buttons and a peppermint patty for a hat.

I dipped the end of the candy stick into dark chocolate and dotted the chocolate on the

snowman to create a face. I am sure there are more creative ways to do it. Have some fun!

Dipping and Gifting, (Day 3)

Well, we are in the third day of dipping and I am having a great time. I love working with chocolate. I spent many years making chocolate Christmas gifts with my son who is now 30 years old. His job was to stand at the kitchen sink filled with hot soapy water and wash chocolate covered bowls and chocolate covered utensils. He hated then, but now it is one of his and my favorite memories. Then, I would always say the gift was from the Moody family and it was, because he worked just as hard as I did to make a nice gift for friends and family. Dipping your preferred item in to chocolate is a fun family affair. OK here we go with every one's favorite, the chocolate covered pretzel.





My welcome and glad you came gift basket is almost full

   

Just three items needed to produce this tasty and attractive food gift.



Dip pretzels in dark chocolate let set until dry, then dip the other end of the pretzel
into white chocolate and allow to dry.

Drizzle white or dark chocolate over the whole pretzel.  The drizzle looks good
and it covers
little imperfections.

Serve or package

I like these

Dipping and Gifting, Day (2)

The Oreo cookie is the lucky item that goes for a swim in chocolate today.  Who ever thought that you can improve an Oreo cookie. Well it can be done and done beautifully and easily. This dipping project requires melting chocolates and Oreos.  of course you may choose to decorate as you please.  I used sprinkles, sparkly candy sugar and a sheet of candy transfers I had laying around. Creativity is the name of the game here. You may add some mint flavoring to the chocolate to create the likeness of those famous girl scout mint cookies. Peppermint flavoring gives a special kick to the white chocolate dipped Oreos. I know for a fact that people love these and often exclaim, "Oh its an Oreo." Children love the Oreo on a stick.  These pictures are not instructional, I just wanted to share ( gotta take some photography lessons).

 After the chocolate has melted according to the instructions on the package, begin dipping the Oreo in the chocolate. I use a fork. Submerge the cookie into the chocolate. When removing the cookie allow excess chocolate to drip off into the bowl, then slide the back of the fork against the side of the bowl when removing the cookie to scrape off more excess chocolate. Place the dipped chocolate on parchment paper to dry.  AT this point you may add your decorations or leave as is.

Three simple items

These look really good

Ready for the cookie

Cookie going in

Crystal candy sugar 

Separate cookie and place sick in middle of cookie with a little chocolate
acting as glue. Place the top back on the cookie. Let it sit for a while then dip in
chocolate

Place in small take out boxes for giving. Wrapping the chocolate dipped cookie in
colorful foil adds a special touch.

How cute are the Oreo lollipops

12 Days of Dipping for Gifting

I would like to introduce to some and remind others of the pleasure of dipping an assortment of items and giving them as gifts. Nothing fancy, just candy, cookies pretzels fruit etc. This old fashioned idea was rekindled for me recently. I was browsing in a high end home decor store when I noticed a bag of chocolate covered pretzels in a simple cellophane bag.  The pretzels were priced at $15.00 for 12.  Wow, I thought, that is quite expensive for pretzels. I know we can all melt a good grade of melting chocolate and dip and gift our hard work.  Anyway, I started by dipping some peppermint sticks. Here is what I did.

You will need:
A good dipping chocolate
peppermint candy sticks
nonpareils
parchment paper

Melt chocolate in a small bowl according to directions
deep enough to dip.

Place dipped candies on parchment paper to dry.

Place dried candies in a clear bag.

Tie with a pretty bow

Now that was easy:)