Chocolate Suckers

I am not a chocolatier by any stretch of the imagination.

I like to think I'm a chocolate connoisseur, but I have the sum total of 2 hours eating training in a community run chocolate program.

Aka; next to nada.

What I can claim to be extensively experienced at is testing things out the hard way.  Because of that perfected skill, I do eventually come up with something that does work.

What I am going to share is my shortcut...

So want to make chocolate suckers for your daughter's class (perhaps to celebrate her 6th birthday or something?)

You are jammed for time, but still want to appear to be "Super-Mom".

I give you - chocolate suckers!

Get your chocolate wafers from bulk barn.

Put it in a ziplock bag and seal the bag closed.

 Put it in the microwave for 1 minute on high.

ONLY one minute.  

Anything more will scorch the chocolate.  (learned the hard way.)

Mush it around in the bag until you can feel all the lumps and bumps have liquified.

If there is still unmelted chocolate, you can return it to the microwave for another 30 seconds - but ONLY 30 seconds. (learned the hard way.)

 Once your chocolate is all melted, snip the bottom corner of the quickie bag.

 You've just created an impromptu chocolate icing bag!

Squeeze as you would icing, into your molds.

Once the molds are full, gently drop it/them on the counter a few times to get all of the air bubbles out.  (learned the hard way.)

You'll see them come to the surface after a couple of taps.

Put your sticks in and roll them around one full turn so that all sides are covered with chocolate.  This ensures they solidify into the sucker and don't just sit on top.  (learned the hard way)

You don't really want to overfill them as I did here - my excuse is trying to hold the icing bag while I was photographing.  (learned the hard way with unfortunate photographic evidence.)

 I used a paper towel under the sticks for the first few minutes or so, just to make sure they were positioned straight.  (learned the hard way)

Once the chocolate is solid, flip the mold over and drop them out.

One thing that I did learn in the hobby-chocolate class - never wash your chocolate molds.

Use a dry paper towel and just wipe them out.

The oil from the chocolate is actually good for the sheen and helps the next batch pop out easily.

If I had the time, I would have wrapped them and put little bows on the stick - but this was a "I've got to finish these before Brownies tonight!" kind of project.

Perhaps planning ahead was my lesson this time?  (learned the hard way.) lol

(learned the hard way!)

  
Have a great one!