Chocoley Chocolate For Back To School And Holiday Baking

Chocoley Chocolate is now out of business.  However, the below items could be made by substituting in your favorite safe chocolate.

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A few weeks ago, the folks at Chocoley asked me if I’d try out and then review a few of their products.  Already being a chocolateaholic, I was only more than happy to oblige.

One of my favorite things about working with melting chocolates is that I can do so WITHOUT turning on my oven if I choose to.  I’m not sure what the temperature is like where you are, but here in Houston, we are still breaking new records with the daily heat index.  The calendar may say September, but it feels like July.  So for now, making tasty chocolate covered treats that look and taste like a million bucks but don’t require me to turn on my oven…that’s my jam!

In the cooler months of fall and winter, I think it would be divine to bake and decorate with chocolate for festive treats for the holidays.  My mouth is almost watering just thinking of the possibilities:

• Candied apples
• Chocolate covered marshmallows
• Biscotti drizzled in chocolate
• Chocolate covered cheesecake bites
• Fudge

The first treat I made was one of my son’s favorites, chocolate cups made with SunButter.  There is something irresistible about these chocolatey cups of goodness and my favorite thing about them is how easy they are to make even though they look like they could have taken hours.

Supplies:

• One bag of safe chocolate pieces
• One jar of creamy SunButter
• One container of cupcake liners

Directions:

• Line a regular size muffin tin with cupcake liners.
• Then, melt chocolate pieces in a microwave safe bowl for forty seconds at a time, stirring after each.  Continue with this method until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth.
• Use a spoon to transfer enough of the melted dark chocolate to thoroughly cover the bottom of each cupcake liner.  Then place in refrigerator for 10 minutes or until the chocolate hardens.
• Soften about one cup of creamy SunButter by placing it in the microwave for fifteen seconds at a time, stirring after each, until it reaches a good consistency.
• Take the chocolate out of the refrigerator and put a dollop of Sunbutter on each being sure to smooth it evenly over the chocolate surface.
• Then use a spoon to transfer enough of the melted dark chocolate (you can re-microwave if needed to soften) to thoroughly cover the mixture in each cupcake liner.
• Put finished cups in the refrigerator for 10 minutes or until the mixture hardens.
• Take out the muffin tin and peel the cupcake liners away from the chocolate.  The liner should easily peel off.  If it does not, the chocolate likely needs additional time in the refrigerator to harden.
• Now enjoy!!!  WARNING:  They go fast, so hiding might be required!
• Storage:  I stored these cups at room temperature on my kitchen counter for a little less than a week before they had all disappeared.

Another favorite at our house that is even more effortless than chocolate cups is chocolate covered strawberries.

WHITE CHOCOLATE COVERED STRAWBERRIES

Supplies:

• One bag of white chocolate pieces
• One container of fresh strawberries

Directions

• Thoroughly wash strawberries and lay out on a paper towel to dry for about an hour.  Leave the stems on.
• After the strawberries are dry, melt white chocolate pieces in a microwave safe bowl for forty seconds at a time, stirring after each.  Continue with this method until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth.
• Dip each strawberry into the melted white chocolate up to the green leaf.  Then place the strawberry on parchment paper to harden.  The chocolate will adhere to the strawberry best if the berry is completely dry before dipping into the chocolate.
• I find that these are best served the day they are made.
• Option:  To make these strawberries even fancier, consider drizzling dark chocolate over them in a zigzag fashion.

CHOCOLATE COVERED SNACKS

With my kids spending hours each week at cross country or pointe ballet practice, we go through snacks quickly at my house.  So I used a little of the dark and white chocolate to cover some otherwise ordinary snacks into special treats:  chocolate covered pretzels, cookies, and bananas.

To make your own chocolate covered snacks, simply follow the above directions on melting the chocolate pieces and then cover your snack of choice in chocolatey goodness and place them on parchment paper to let the chocolate harden.  Once the chocolate on the pretzels and cookies sufficiently hardened, I stored them at room temperature in airtight tupperware.  Once the chocolate hardened on the bananas, I chose to store these in the freezer.

My family is loving me right now for making snack time a whole lot more interesting!  And that makes me happy too!  I’m already dreaming of what I can make once the weather finally cools down here in Houston.

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