How to Shape Gourmet Chocolates as Holiday Gifts

Variety of chocolate candy make a great holiday or birthday gift for that chocoholic in your life. They also are a great choice to bring to holiday gatherings. High-quality & testy chocolates can cost $20 to $25 per pound or more in specialty shops. But you can use these easy recipes to make a gorgeous, irresistible selection in an afternoon that can provide enough candy to handle your entire holiday gift-giving list, plus some leftover for you! And you can prepare all five kinds for less than you would spend on a one-pound box of candy-store chocolates!


Preparation Tips

• Chocolate peanut butter balls are one of the best--and easiest-- candies you can make. But they are messy. Mix 1 1/2 c. smooth peanut butter, 1 1/2 c. finely-crushed graham cracker crumbs, 1 c. melted butter, 4 c. powdered sugar together in a bowl. Chill at least 2 hours. Then form into walnut-sized balls and dip in 2 c. melted chocolate chips. Place on waxed paper to dry.
• Mix equal parts of chocolate chips with white almond bark . Melt the almond bark in the microwave in a large glass or ceramic bowl. When mostly melted, add an equal amount of chocolate chips and microwave another 60-90 seconds until completely melted. Use this mixture to coat a variety of items. I dip pretzels and chocolate sandwich cookies in the chocolate, then let dry on waxed paper. I also mix in an equal amount of peanuts or cashews, then drop by spoonful onto waxed paper. These peanut and cashew clusters are huge hits as holiday gifts.
• It is surprising how easy chocolate truffles are to make. And it has so few ingredients, yet the taste is divine.Bring 1/2 c. heavy whipping cream to a boil. Place 8 ounces melted semi-sweet chocolate and 6 T. unsalted butter into the cream. Mix and refrigerate until chilled (at least 2-3 hours). Scoop teaspoons of hardened chocolate, then shape into a ball with your hands. Roll in ground nuts, coconut or unsweetened cocoa. Store in a tin in refrigerator.
• This chocolate fudge recipe is from my grandmother, and I shared it in a previous article. An entire 5-pound recipe costs only $7: a fraction of gift shop prices. Boil 4 1/2 c. sugar, 1/3 lb. butter, and 1 can Milnot (not evaporated milk) for exactly 8 minutes. Remove from heat and add 18 oz. chocolate chips, 1 large jar marshmallow cream and 1 T. vanilla. Stir until smooth and pour into two greased 9x9 pans. You can also add walnuts.
• Homemade toffee is another easy treat that is so easy to make, yet so expensive at specialty and gourmet candy shops. I've seen it for $10-$15/lb. This recipe takes about 10 minutes start to finish and uses ingredients you have in your pantry. Heat 1 1/2 c. brown sugar and 1 c. butter over medium heat until the mixture darkens and little puffs of smoke are seen (about 7 minutes).
• Pour onto a buttered cookie sheet and spread (it does not have to cover the entire cookie sheet). Pour 1 c. chocolate chips over the hot toffee and wait a couple minutes. Then spread the chocolate to cover the toffee. "Score" the toffee while still hot with a butter knife into one-inch squares. This allows it to break into pieces more easily when it is completely cool. You also can use walnuts. You would put the walnuts down on the cookie sheet first, then pour the hot toffee over them.

Tips and Warnings

• Make the assortment above and store in tins or containers in the refrigerator during the holidays. You can put together assorted plates of chocolates for get-togethers and as highly-prized holidays gifts.