Friday, September 19, 2008

SpoOoOoOky Halloween Chocolate Molds

This Halloween season, I've come up with a new hobby to perfect.

While Jim and I were perusing Party Box a few weeks ago, I noticed a section with Halloween bake ware. In this section were cupcake tins shaped like pumpkins and skulls, orange and black sprinkles, and something that caught my eye: A candy mold kit.




Now, I've been a closeted chef for a few years now. I have been an avid student of the Food Network and Allrecipes.com, so the marriage between cooking + Halloween? Heaven.

For Monster Bash '06, I baked a Kitty Litter Cake:



For Monster Bash '07, I made an oozing Spider Cake:


(the ooze was green food-dyed vanilla pudding, btw)

This year, I'm going to still have a SpOoOoOoOky cake...but in addition...I've begun perfecting the intricate art of...

The Chocolate Mold!



I've been making them little by little, trying to get their faces just right, and the coloring of their hands to be accurate. It's like "coloring in between the lines" with chocolate. I can't get enough!

Not only do they make regular choco-lollipop molds, they also make molds that you can put a pretzel rod in to make pretzel-choco-lollipops! Does it get any better?

Basically, the molds are cheap, but come with no instructions...I had to learn that for myself-

First, melt the white and dark chocolates in separate bowls. Dye each of the white chocolate bowls with different spOoOooOky food colors...OR buy the already colored chocolates!

Then, (I suggest you buy a cheapo paintbrush for this), decide what color you want to make the different features. Since it's Halloween and anything goes, pick something unique or crazy. Add the first layer of choco-paint.

Let it sit for a few mins to allow the chocolate to harden. I suggest stirring the chocolate in the bowls to avoid the hardening, you may need to reheat every now and again, just keep an eye on them to not burn the chocolate! And yes, you can "test" the chocolate to make sure it's "the right consistency" (aka you want to eat it, go ahead, it's chocolicious).

Continue layering chocolate and allowing each layer to harden a bit.

When you're done, roll a pretzel rod, or lollipop stick about 3/4 of the way down into the chocolate to coat it, then place it in the mold.

Put the molds in the refrigerator, I'd say for about 3 or so hours to harden.

You know what comes next.


41 Days until Halloween!!! Wooo!!

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