Make Your Own Chocolate for Tweens

I had such a fun time making chocolate with the teens, I decided to try it with tweens. Last time, I melted the chocolate melts in bowls, then transferred them into squeeze bottles, and kept them warm in a crock pot. That doesn't work very well--if water touches the chocolate in the tip, it will harden and make things really difficult. I also couldn't keep the chocolate warm enough--it was a huge mess. Last time, we used more intricate molds and focused on detail work.

 This time, I made things simpler. I bought disposable bags (Wilton makes them--they are life savers!!). I was able to heat the chocolate melts directly in the bags, and then snip the ends. The tweens had a fairly high level of control, and were able to fill the molds with solid colors. The focus this time was more on decorating already-molded candies, which everyone enjoyed. Frosting acts as an excellent glue. I also used edible pens and white chocolate, so we could decorate without making a huge mess.

 We also squiggled chocolate onto paper plates, let them harden in the refrigerator, and then popped them off for 3-D creations. I was impressed by their outside-the-box thinking.

Just be careful about burning the chocolate. Our microwave didn't have a 50% power setting and I scorched my first batch. If you insist on using chocolate that has been overheated, the consistency will be grainy and gross.

I had nine participants, and I spent $36 on supplies. I could have done things for much cheaper if I'd waited for a JoAnn's coupon. I plan to do this again--definitely using the bags. Clean up was quick and painless. I don't have a link to step-by-step instructions--but if you follow the instructions on the Wilton's candy melt bag, you should be fine.

This would be a really fun project for a smaller group. It's easy to 'decorate' pretzels, dip pre-made cookies, and more. Depending on dexterity and interest level, this could take up an entire afternoon. Yum!