Gluten-Free homemade chocolates are just the best. They are a part of our family traditions each year at Christmastime. A tad messy but ohhhhhh so deliciously yummy! Meg’s favorite homemade chocolate recipe is pictured above. It’s a mixture of melted chocolate, finely chopped pretzels, finely chopped mixed nuts, finely chopped dried cranberries, and toffee bits. Yummo! Such a wonderful combination of ingredients.
The pot pictured on top of the above photo is sitting in a larger pot of water that was previously boiling. Just keep stirring until a smooth consistency is achieved. The larger chocolate pot is full of the recipe. I also use a double boiler. Simply put about an inch of water in the lower double boiler pot and bring to a boil. Shut off heat and place the second pot with candy pieces to melt sitting on top of the first pot. Stir until melted completely. You may need to reheat the water and repeat the process to melt. Add water to the lower pot as necessary to keep it from becoming empty. I don’t care to use the microwave to melt chocolates, as that tends to dry out and even burn the chocolate.
Meg’s Favorite Homemade Chocolate Recipe
- 1 lb light cocoa (milk chocolate) candy melting pieces
- 1/3 cup finely chopped gluten-free pretzels
- 1/3 cup finely chopped gluten-free toffee chips
- 1/3 cup finely chopped mixed nuts
- 1/3 cup finely chopped dried cranberries
Melt chocolate pieces in a double boiler or another method as mentioned above. Add the next four ingredients and mix well. Use a tiny baby spoon to spoon chocolate mixture into paper cups that are placed on a cookie sheet. Gently lift cookie sheet above the countertop and gently tap several times on countertop to settle chocolate in cups. Place in the freezer for about 3 minutes. This step gives the candies a nice glossy, pretty finish. Place candies in a cellophane bag and close bag with a beautiful ribbon and gift tag. These lovely gift bags make thoughtful gifts for the mailman, your hard-working trash pickup folks, hairstylists, school teachers, Sunday School teachers, neighbors, and elderly friends. Your children will enjoy making these treats with you. Trust me…..everyone loves homemade chocolates!
Get your ingredients all together. I pop into a local candy supply store right around Thanksgiving to stock up on what I need to begin my Willy Wonka Chocolate Factory fun. You can even go into a large retail store to stock up as well. I like to use dark chocolate, milk chocolate, some colorful candy pieces as well as white candy pieces. These paper cups make a festive presentation for Christmas. There are also other holiday-themed paper cups as well as many sizes. These small paper cups require a tiny spoon to fill the cups. I use baby spoons in multiple sizes to keep the cups very neat and clean-looking.
The photo above is of a mound’s candy makeover. I used dark chocolate melting pieces as well as red candy pieces for some of the bows. I put a spoonful of melted chocolate into the candy mold. I hand-rolled some of the coconut dough (purchased at my favorite local candy-making supply store) and placed the rolls into the spoonful of melted chocolate. Then I added another spoonful of melted chocolate on top. A new paintbrush works well to neatly smooth melted chocolate around coconut rolls. To make the pretty bows, I first used a paintbrush to brush on red melted candies. The molds were then placed flat in the freezer for 2 minutes to set the red bows. Then the melted dark chocolate was added along with the coconut rolls. Stick candies back in the freezer for about 3 minutes to get that glossy shine. Don’t be intimated by these few steps. It really is so easy. After you have done it once the next time is even easier.
Ta-dah! The finished products are so pretty and will be packaged in cellophane bags topped with beautiful bows and jingle bells! I need to keep creating to make more of a selection to hand out on Saturday and Sunday mornings. It’s so much fun being a temporary Chocolatier during the Christmas season. Let me know if you try Meg’s Favorite Homemade Chocolate Recipe.
Until next time,
