Hiya. I’m thinking that I want to make chocolates to give as gifts this year. About twenty years ago, my mom and some of her friends did this, and I remember it being a lot of fun and not too difficult. They made fondant chocolates and caramels, but my memory fails on what else they made.
I’m specifically interested in your tested recipes and any tips and tricks you may have.
Thanks all!
My only recommendation is to get a good candy thermometer if you don’t already have one. I’ve never been any good at judging soft ball, hard ball, etc., by putting a drop of the syrup into ice water.
I make english toffee every year (the crispy, not chewy kind).
Butter a flat pan (I use the back of a baking sheet).
Take equal (volumetric) parts butter to sugar (1 cup + 1 cup, = 1 lb)
Stir constantly over high heat throughout process
mixture will melt down, then foam up then begin to look sticky but still whitish in color.
As mixture begins to turn tan it is getting close. Stir in 1/2 cup nuts if desired.
When it is the color of toffee, pour out onto baking sheet.
Allow to cool. Then either spread both sides with melted chocolate or break it into small pieces and dip each completely in chocolate.
This particular recipe does not require a candy themometer, since when it looks done, it is. In case you wish to use a candy themoter, you cook it to “hard crack.”
Sounds awesome, like Almond Roca (if I put almonds in). How much does it make?
I haven’t made chocolates for a few years now, but I do have a few suggestions.
Buy the best possible chocolate that you can find. Some of it is very waxy and the result not very good. You do need chocolate that can be melted and molded and you cannot do that with everyday chocolate. Well I think you can if you actually add paraffin, but that thought icks me out.
If you want to add flavourings to chocolate, they need to be oils, like mint oil. Artificial flavourings that have alcohol will curdle the chocolate.
Homemade truffles can be very nice. Truffles are made by making a ganache, a heated mixture of chocolate and cream, that is beaten. Once it thickens, it can be rolled in balls in powders like cocoa, icing sugar or even coconut.
Almond bark is easy to make. Melt chocolate, dump in almonds (and/or dried fruit like cranberries), pour on cookie sheet. Chill, then break into chunks. A truly low maintenance chocolate. Also, if you like white chocolate, you can make an easy bark by crushing candy canes in small pieces, dumping in the white melted chocolate and then pouring onto the cookie sheet.
Temper your chocolate. I learned this the hard way making almond toffee! I use this method and it returns glossy, snappy chocolate.
If you have a Trader Joe’s, they offer Ghirardelli chocolate in huge blocks. Most shops use Guittard’s, but I don’t think it’s available retail.
Have fun! I send toffee out for Christmas and I don’t get any complaints, even from the people that live next to the Enstrom’s factory. 
Hello Again’s recipe is spot-on, exactly the one I use.
My aunt once gave me a super-easy recipe for a chocolate bark made with bittersweet chocolate, toasted walnuts, candied ginger, and dried sour cherries. It was fabulous - I’ll see if I can dig it up, but it was the sort of thing that would be very easy to improvize. Melt chocolate, add other ingredients, spread on cookie sheet covered in wax paper to cool, eat!
I keep telling you…white chocolate is not chocolate!!!
Here are recipes and directions for the chocolates I make. I do use Guittard’s chocolate, and go through about 20 pounds every year. You may not want to get that industrial. But there are some good recipes and tips on there. Good luck!
A super easy route is to buy the chocolate at a craft store, melt it, and they have all sorts of molds. Even the kids can do this, and it’s fun.
Peppermint creams are very easy, all you need is icing sugar (don’t know what you call it in the USA, but it’s the very finely powdered kind). Mix to a very stiff paste with lightly beaten egg white and flavour with peppermint essence. Roll it out flat about 1/4 in thick and cut out with a small sweet cutter, you can get different shapes about 1in across.
All you need to do is leave them on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper, in a warm, dry place to dry for a couple of days. If you like you can then dip them in melted chocolate.
Lemon creams are easy too - almost the same, but add lemon juice instead of peppermint essence. I’ve never tried it but I guess orange creams would be the same.
My favorite candies to make are chocolate Oreo truffles - a friend told me how to make them, and they make people think you’ve slaved for HOURS. Here they are:
Blend 8 oz. softened cream cheese until very smooth.
Grind 1 pkg. regular Oreos in the food processor until you get the consistency of coffee grounds.
Mix Oreo crumbs with cream cheese. Mix VERY well. This will have a thick consistency and look (sorry) like a cow pie.
Roll into 1" balls and place on a cookie sheet. Freeze at least one hour.
Dip in chocolate and place on wax paper.
Melt white chocolate and drizzle over candies.
Refrigerate until ready to serve.
You can do all sorts of variations - I most often dip in white chocolate and drizzle with another color or colors. Red and green for Christmas, orange and brown for a Browns game party, whatever.
Very easy, tasty, and impressive.
I don’t know if this qualifies, but I have made Nanaimo bars. Good lord, they must have thousands of calories, and they involve a few ingredients besides the chocolate. They are easy for the non-cooks like me, though; you just melt and freeze stuff, melt and freeze, melt and freeze.
We did chocolate-dipped oreos, graham crackers, potato chips (it works. try it), candycanes, twizzlers, pretzel rods, dried apricots and dried pineapple rings, and half dipped homemade fortune cookies (these are fun to make too). We also chilled Nutella, rolled it into balls in cornstarch, and dipped those to make a sort of truffle. We made a simple fondant with various flavors added to it, too. We used the chocolate slabs from Trader Joes - delicious.
Definitely have a good candy thermometer - chocolate needs to be tempered, or when it hardens it will ‘bloom’ - the surface will develop dull white smudginess instead of glossy smooth and dark. Google will give you heaps of advice on tempering chocolate.
Have lots of parchment lined cookie sheets if you’re dipping, and room to lay stuff out. Think ahead of time - like now - if you need to buy gift boxes or those little frilly paper or foil cups, because they will be sold out closer to Christmas.
It’s a fun way to spend an afternoon and smells so so so good. But between that, the gingerbread houses, gingerbread men, fortune cookies, and pfeffernussen, it was a bit overwhelming. (though delicious.)
allows rumbling of stomach to subside
Recipes please? big Bambi eyes
I made these yesterday:
1/4 cup of heavy cream
1/4 cup of liqueur
1 bag of chocolate chips
Small foil cups (can be obtained at candy stores)
Grind up chocolate chips in food processor until fine. In a saucepan, heat cream and liqueur until they boil. While the food processor is running, pour the cream/liqueur mixture into the food processor with the chocolate. Continue processing until the chocolate is melted. Immediately, pour into small foil cups. Refrigerate until hardened.
These are really easy and really quick to make.
They call it confectioner’s sugar. I’m Canadian and I was used to calling it icing sugar as well.
I’ve been making Nanaimo bars for years - I’ve introduced them to some friends down here and they’re universally liked.
I just bought some Ghirardelli and almonds and oreos and cream chees and candy canes and little cup thingies to put candies in! Whee!
Please keep the recipes coming!
Super-simple are nut clusters. Buy large bars of chocolate at Costco. Melt in the microwave, stirring gently every 30 seconds just until melted. Stir in walnuts, pecans, almonds or nuts of your choice. Using a spoon, drop onto wax paper and let cool completely. Why make chocolate when it is so easy to buy it in bulk?
I made these yesterday:
1/4 cup of heavy cream
1/4 cup of liqueur
1 bag of chocolate chips
Small foil cups (can be obtained at candy stores)
Grind up chocolate chips in food processor until fine. In a saucepan, heat cream and liqueur until they boil. While the food processor is running, pour the cream/liqueur mixture into the food processor with the chocolate. Continue processing until the chocolate is melted. Immediately, pour into small foil cups. Refrigerate until hardened.
These are really easy and really quick to make.
Sorry, I should have specified- I use raspberry or blackberry liqueur.