Working with chocolate is a fun edible craft enjoyed by both adults and children. It is very simple and you can make delicious craft projects easily using the melted chocolate. Although this is a fun craft for kids they will need your help melting the chocolate and working with it while it is still hot.
When melting chocolate the two most important rules are:
* Take care not to burn the chocolate.
* Do not add any water to the chocolate while melting.
From our experience, there are three successful methods to melt chocolate:
1. Using a double boiler – boil water in the bottom saucepan (pot). Once the water has boiled add chocolate to the inner saucepan and put the inner saucepan in the outer bigger saucepan. Keep simmering until the chocolate has melted.
2. Microwave – some people think that this is the easiest and most effective method to melt chocolate. The setting and amount of time depends on your microwave. If you leave it in for too long it will burn.
3. Using a plastic pot over a metal pot. This is really an easy method to improvise for those who do not have a double boiler. Fill a metal pot with boiling water. Add chocolate to a plastic or glass pot or bowl. Place the bowl with chocolate over the metal pot once the water has boiled. Do not continue simmering the vapor from the water will eventually melt the chocolate. Make sure that the bowl is bigger than the pot and totally covers it so that the vapor does not escape. This method will take more time than the first two but it is very easy and fail proof. Since you do not simmer the water the chocolate cannot burn.
Tip/Variations:
After you have used the melted chocolate let it dry and harden in a dry cool place. Do not put it in the fridge or freezer to dry. If you do put it in the fridge or freezer you will find that when you take it out it will melt quicker than if allowed to harden out of the fridge. If it is very hot or you are in a hurry then you will have no choice but to put it in the fridge.
Once you have melted the chocolate there are many craft ideas that you can use to make edible projects using the chocolate:
Chocolate flowers
Making chocolates with kids
As an easy alternative to icing or frosting a cake