“12 Days of Christmas Candy” Clever Pink Pirate Finale Extraordinaire

So you my dear readers I told you I would be making up the lack of a post on day 8 and I have my dear friend Sara from CLEVER PINK PIRATE to thank!! Sara attended my Chex Mix-change party last week!!  I have to say she has outdone herself with this post so my dear readers make sure you stop over at her blog and show her some Pink Cake Plate love!!!!

Look at all the FANTASTIC EASY QUICK ideas she is sharing here today!!  So go out and make those last minute gifts for freinds and family!!  Any one of these will knock their socks off!!

 

5 Easy Chocolate DIY Gifts in 10 Minutes or Less

I love making easy and delicious gifts for the holidays using candy coating (almond bark candy). This is really easy to work with, just melt it in the microwave and pour! It’s also not just for making candy bark either! Here are 5 delicious gifts that you can make in under 10 minutes. These gifts are great for when you need to make a large batch say for teachers, co workers, church friends etc.

Tips on working with candy coating:

• Follow the melting directions on the package. Be sure not to scorch it in the microwave.
• If you find that when you take the chocolate out of the microwave you have a few chunks not melted, just stir it up for about 60 seconds and the hot chocolate will help melt the rest.
• Use a glass bowl or coffee mug to melt the chocolate, the mug works great to have a deeper working area.
• Wax paper works great to place your chocolate creations on to dry.
• A room with a colder temperature will help the candy dry. Use the fridge or a cold tiled room to allow your candy creations to set.
• I buy my 2 pound almond bark chocolate at Walmart for under $3, the cheapest place I have found it.

Chocolate Covered Hot Cocoa and Coffee Spoons

Ingredients:
1 C Melted Candy Coating
Sprinkles
Optional:
Peppermint Extract
Crushed Candy Canes

Supplies:
Wax Paper

These are great to package with a bag of coffee or hot cocoa and a mug for a Christmas gift!

Melt the candy coating in a coffee mug, take spoons and cover the “spoon” part with chocolate, lay on the wax paper and cover with sprinkles, white chocolate or make a peppermint spoon. Take 1/3 of the melted chocolate and pour 1 tsp of peppermint extract in it, stir well. It may be slightly thicker to work with but it will turn out fine. Take the spoon, dip it in the peppermint mixture then top with crushed candy canes, let dry.

Wrap in small cello bags and ribbon.

 

Chocolate Covered Pretzel Sticks

Ingredients:
Pretzel Rods
Melted Candy Coating
Wax Paper
Optional Ingredients:
Melted Reese’s Peanut Butter chips
Candy Sprinkles

Melt chocolate in a deep bowl, take a spoon and cover 3/4 of the pretzel with chocolate. Do small spin circles with the rod to get the excess chocolate off then place on wax paper. To decorate, pour sprinkles over the rods over another bowl to catch all the sprinkles. For the peanut butter pretzels, melt the chips and then take a spoon and lightly go across the pretzel to make stripes.

 

Chocolate Covered Kettle Corn

Ingredients:
2 C Kettle Corn (I used Angie’s Kettle Corn)
1/2 C Melted Chocolate Candy Coating
1/4 C Melted White Chocolate Candy Coating
Wax Paper

Melt the chocolate candy coating in a bowl. After it’s melted, pour kettle corn in and mix well. Once the kettle corn is coated in the melted chocolate, lay out on wax paper to dry. Melt the white chocolate and gently stripe the kettle corn.

I put it in a clear plastic cup in which Laura had given me from the Chex Mix Party, in which she got from Smart and Final!

Chocolate Covered Candy Canes

Ingredients:

Melted Candy Coating
Candy Canes
Wax Paper

This one is extremely easy, just dip in melted chocolate, using a spoon to cover at least half of the candy cane. Allow to dry on wax paper. Cover with a pretzel bag or cello bag with ribbon.

 

 

 

 

Chocolate Molded Candies

Ingredients:
Melted Candy Coating

Supplies:
Wilton Candy Molds (these can be found for around $2-$3 at craft stores)

Clear Bags

I think that people may be intimidated by chocolate molds, but really they are quite easy when you just use one color of chocolate. You can buy the Wilton Melting candies or just use the candy coating!

Melt the candy coating, pour in the molds being careful not to overfill. Gently tap the filled molds on the countertop to release air bubbles. Allow to cool, then package.

You don’t need fancy packaging for these, I just took a regular fold over the top sandwich bag, put the chocolates in and cut of the excess at the top. Sealed with some curling ribbon making it cute for only pennies!

 Ok now that you have seen all the fantastic goodies Sara has shared with us WHICH ONE IS YOUR FAVORITE????  Isnt allher packaging adorable??? Leave a comment and let me know which is your favorite!!!!