How To Make Chocolate Cake

Homemade chocolates can be fun to make. With microwaves in almost every home now, the art of melting chocolate wafers without burning them has been perfected. Adding fruit essences to the melted ooey-gooey-ness personalizes them, then pouring your creation into shallow molds with different details appropriate for the season, be it winter, Christmas or other festive practices.

Now I agree with a lot of you and have to wonder, why make chocolates when you can go out and buy a box and even get it WRAPPED for no extra cost?! It is so much easier and less time consuming! If those are your thoughts, then making chocolates may not be for you, but I know it is something everyone needs to do at least once in their life. I did it with a Brownie troop and we had SO much fun!

Remember, you can put chopped up nuts in your chocolates, even marzipan! White, milk, dark…or swirled / marbled chocolates! I think there would be a way to get peanut butter in there too, who doesn’t love that combo! There is no limit besides your imagination. Borrow books from the library to help you perfect the ideas you have. Of course, there is always the internet resource too. Do this at least once with your kids. They will love being able to give these personal gifts to their friends and teachers, and you will forever remember the joy and excitement of this weekend activity!

So many types of chocolates to choose from! But why buy when you can easily make your own - you’d be stunned to find out how easy it really can be!

You can be as creative as you want with the ingredients, shapes and type of chocolate, even with the packaging.

For example you can create the simplest of chocolates, such as yummy chocolate bark , to the more involved chocolates such as decadent hand-dipped cherry chocolates in creamy fondant or even hand-painted molded chocolates.

Sure it’s easier to run out to the local store and buy a box of chocolates but they’ll definitely remember your thoughtfulness if they receive a box of your delicious homemade goodies. Besides that, it’s so much fun! You can even involve the children. Candymaking is even more fun when done as a family project. Have your children unmold the chocolates after they’re set and place them into the candy paper cups or they can mix up the ingredients for the fondant. They’ll love bringing some of the delicacies they helped create to their friends and teachers at school!

You can even go as far as selling your chocolate creations at craft sales, bazaars, fund-raising events and home parties.

Many recipes need the use of specialized equipment and methods but there are much easier ways to making chocolate without all the fuss and worry that you’ll either overcook your candy or that it won’t turn out at all.

Here’s how to make delicious chocolate covered strawberries. First of all ensure that the strawberries you are intending to use are dry, then allow them to be room temperature warm prior to making them. After the strawberries have been covered in chocolate, put them in your refrigerator to cool, but do not store them in the fridge. Consume within 1-2 days.

It is very important to ensure that the strawberries are dry, as a small amount of water is enough to make the batch curdle. Strawberries dipped in chocolate can also be injected with a suitable liquor after the chocolate has hardened. It is best to use a syringe to inject the strawberries with the contents.

Chocolate Covered Strawberries Recipe

Ensure all ingredients are at normal room temperature.

This recipe makes 15 chocolate covered strawberries ( approx )

Ingredients To Use:

4.5 tablespoons of cream ( heavy variety )

9 ounces of bittersweet chopped chocolate

15 strawberries

1.5 tablespoons of butter

Follow These Steps:

1. Line a baking sheet with foil or paper that is wax coated

2. Melt the butter and the chocolate in a boiler over hot water, stirring all the time until the chocolate has melted. Add cream to the mixture and stir until smooth consistency. Allow the mixture to cool

3. Pick up each strawberry by its stem and dip it into the mixture you have made. Allow any excess mixture to go back into the pan. Place the chocolate covered strawberry on the paper and repeat until you have made 15 strawberries.

Your wedding is going to be one of the best days of your life and it should be memorable for everyone. Why not make it extra special with an amazing caterer that will go beyond everyone else. Go ahead and get an ultra special favor, place card, save the date cards or anything you desire, all personalized for your wedding. The best thing is they all can be done out of chocolate! Not only that but you place an image of your choice on a candy bar, on a cookie or lollipop and they will be 100 percent edible.

I recently went to a wedding where the cake, the placecard, the date cards, all were made out of chocolates and looked so special. Everything was crafted with the utmost care and attention and not only that, everything seemed to be made with love.

The provider for the wedding was a PA based chocolate firm that personalizes in making delicious tasting chocolate especially for weddings. They even make chocolates with edible images. These would make amazing favors for the guests. No, these aren’t keepsakes; though I’m not sure how long one would keep them for long as they taste so amazing.

What about having some personalized chocolate lollipops for your wedding? You can put the picture of your choice along with your wedding date or any message that you wish. Put them in a beautiful gift bag, so not only they look great but taste spectacular!

Why not add something different to your wedding and have chocolate place cards for your guests. They are 100 percent edible and they are not only the sweetest thing to look at, they are also the sweetest thing to taste! Plus you are saving money since the place cards act as the favor too. You can even put the guest’s names and table numbers on each card.

For the people who love Oreos and I know there are a lot of you, you can also make special photo chocolate covered Oreos. They can be put in a gorgeous gift box and they are a delight to eat. If you want to give someone that extra special gift at your wedding, then you can do individual chocolate covered Oreos with a photo and personalization.

You don’t have to just use these special chocolates for your actual wedding day. Why not use them for a bridal shower or maybe even a bachelorette or bachelor party. Your limits are endless.

If you and your guests want truly delicious and edible treats for any special occasion then chocolate is the way to go. You could even announce your engagement on r special chocolate gifts. It doesn’t matter if you have guests that prefer white chocolate to dark, or maybe they are a milk chocolate lover. You can cater for all needs and offer special low carb and low calorie chocolate in milk and dark.

You may wonder how much all of this is going to cost you! Well there is no need to worry, there are lots of places that offer all the above at low prices so everyone is able to enjoy the great taste and flavor of chocolate.

Your wedding is going to be one of the best days of your life and it should be memorable for everyone. Why not make it extra special with an amazing caterer that will go beyond everyone else. Go ahead and get an ultra special favor, place card, save the date cards or anything you desire, all personalized for your wedding. The best thing is they all can be done out of chocolate! Not only that but you place an image of your choice on a candy bar, on a cookie or lollipop and they will be 100 percent edible.

I recently went to a wedding where the cake, the placecard, the date cards, all were made out of chocolates and looked so special. Everything was crafted with the utmost care and attention and not only that, everything seemed to be made with love.

The provider for the wedding was a PA based chocolate firm that personalizes in making delicious tasting chocolate especially for weddings. They even make chocolates with edible images. These would make amazing favors for the guests. No, these aren’t keepsakes; though I’m not sure how long one would keep them for long as they taste so amazing.

What about having some personalized chocolate lollipops for your wedding? You can put the picture of your choice along with your wedding date or any message that you wish. Put them in a beautiful gift bag, so not only they look great but taste spectacular!

Why not add something different to your wedding and have chocolate place cards for your guests. They are 100 percent edible and they are not only the sweetest thing to look at, they are also the sweetest thing to taste! Plus you are saving money since the place cards act as the favor too. You can even put the guest’s names and table numbers on each card.

For the people who love Oreos and I know there are a lot of you, you can also make special photo chocolate covered Oreos. They can be put in a gorgeous gift box and they are a delight to eat. If you want to give someone that extra special gift at your wedding, then you can do individual chocolate covered Oreos with a photo and personalization.

You don’t have to just use these special chocolates for your actual wedding day. Why not use them for a bridal shower or maybe even a bachelorette or bachelor party. Your limits are endless.

If you and your guests want truly delicious and edible treats for any special occasion then chocolate is the way to go. You could even announce your engagement on r special chocolate gifts. It doesn’t matter if you have guests that prefer white chocolate to dark, or maybe they are a milk chocolate lover. You can cater for all needs and offer special low carb and low calorie chocolate in milk and dark.

You may wonder how much all of this is going to cost you! Well there is no need to worry, there are lots of places that offer all the above at low prices so everyone is able to enjoy the great taste and flavor of chocolate.

Making a gourmet chocolate gift basket is easier than you think even though it will look beautiful and professional by the time you finish. The following tips will help you choose the right chocolates to use in your gift basket and help you design it in the most beautiful way.

Tip #1 The Chocolates
There are lots of different chocolates out there but you want to use gourmet chocolates. There are two reasons for this. One is for the taste and the other is to give a really nice gift. Any chocolates will work, but gourmet chocolates make the basket extra special. Hershey cherry cordials are a wonderful choice to include in your gift basket. They are tasty and loved by all. It really doesn’t matter what other types of chocolates you include as long as Hershey kisses cherry cordials are in the basket! Of course, a mixture of dark chocolates and milk chocolates is a good idea to give a nice variety to the gift basket.

Tip #2 The Basket
Choose a beautiful basket that reflects the quality of the chocolates. You don’t want nice gourmet chocolates in a dollar store basket. Instead, you want a beautiful basket that gives off that same gourmet appearance and makes the gift basket even more appealing. Consider a dark brown basket that is elegant and beautiful. Buy some straw or beautiful fabric to stuff in the bottom of the basket and then add the chocolates. A great way to give form to your basket is to place foam under the straw or fabric and then glue small sticks onto the backs of the chocolates so you can stick them in the foam and create a shape.

These are just a couple suggestions to help you create a professional and gourmet chocolate basket that will be a wonderful gift. In fact, you can have several of these made up, as long as they are stored in a cool area, and then when a special occasion arises you have the perfect gift. This is a gift that will be appreciated by anyone for practically any occasion. Weddings, showers, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, birthdays, anniversaries, and everything in between are perfect occasions to give a gourmet chocolate gift basket. So, go ahead and start making up some gourmet chocolate baskets of your own and it won’t take you very long before you can do it in no time!

Do you want to know how to make chocolate fondue the easy way? Doesn’t even saying the words out loud, “Chocolate Fondue” make you want to swoon with ecstacy?

I mean, really! Who wouldn’t love this decadent dessert? Forget the diet! And who says you have to wait for dessert? Treat yourself once in a while and have it for dinner! Why not? Life is short.

Since the Swiss take all the credit for making up this wonderous invention of fondue eating… it only stands to reason that continuing the practice would carry over to dessert.

I love chocolate. And anything that you can mix with it. So, learning how to make chocolate fondue for my friends and family was a real treat for me. And the idea of melting chocolate, adding things like nuts, or marshmellows, or fruit, or cake just sends me over the moon! And when you dive into these recipes for this dreamy dessert, you’ll be joining me on the other side of that ol’ moon.

Here’s how to make chocolate fondue that will melt any choco-holic’s heart:

What you’ll need:
- 1 cup premium cocoa powder (ex:Scharffen Berger), sifted

- 1 1/4 cup water

- 1 1/2 cups sugar

- 1/4 cup corn syrup

- 1/2 cup plus 5 Tbsp heavy cream

- 5 oz 62% Scharffen Berger (premium semi-sweet chocolate), chopped

- Pound cake and fruit (ex. bananas, apples, strawberries, plums), cut into bite sized pieces

First, sift the cocoa into mixing bowl and set aside. When I was learning how to make chocolate fondue, I found out that sifting the cocoa is the real trick to making this recipe work. It helps create the smooth creamy texture that you want for serving.

Then, place the water, sugar, and corn syrup into a pot and bring to boil. Allow the mixture to simmer for 10-15 minutes until sugar solution has reduced by about 30%. Pour the cocoa powder a little bit at a time into the solution and blend with a whisk until nice and smooth.

Next, return the chocolate mixture to the stove and continue cooking over medium heat. Add the heavy cream, bring it to a boil and allow to simmer for five minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in your chopped chocolate. Pour it all into a ceramic fondue pot or one appropriate and keep warm until ready to serve.

Presenting your fabulous chocolate fondue dessert with cut up pieces of cake and fruit is a wonderful way to end your evening with a bang!

It’s rare to find someone who doesn’t enjoy eating chocolate fondue. Here’s one more super easy recipe to salivate over:

I can not get enough of this traditional Swiss chocolate fondue dessert. This recipe is very easy to make and you truly will swoon when you try it. Makes for a really good time whether it be for a dinner party dessert, or for some other festive occasion. Enjoy every little drop!

What you’ll need:

- 1 cup heavy cream

- 12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate (chopped)

- teaspoon vanilla

First, heat the cream in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat until hot for about 2 to 3 minutes. Next, add the chocolate and stir until the consistency is smooth and the chocolate has melted. Stir in vanilla and transfer to a warm ceramic fondue pot.

Some great dippers for chocolate fondue are:

* apple slices

* sliced bananas

* flavored biscotti

* strawberries

* pound cake or angel food cake

* lady fingers

Try some of these variations for slightly different flavors:

You can substitute 2 to 3 Tbsp of kirsch, brandy, rum, or orange liqueur for the vanilla.

Enjoy!

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For more great info on Fondue and other types of appetizers and appetizer meals, visit http://www.easy-appetizer-recipes.com.