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Creative and Easy Dipping Chocolate
Dipping chocolate projects make wonderful chocolate gifts!
Or a fun gourmet chocolates activity you can eat! It’s for all ages. (Also see how to
make chocolate covered strawberries,
a special separate project on a different page). Some easy senior activity ideas are included below. If you’d like to get kids involved, they love this project! And the examples here can be modified for those with various elderly issues that may cause some limitations. So they’re fun for elderly activities too. Use these dipping chocolate ideas to do with friends too, or in conjunction with an upcoming group activity, preparing for a party or special meal, or for making gifts to give away. Or just a treat for yourself! You can do dipping with a variety of foods such as nuts, cake, cookies, pretzels (tall ones are especially good), apricots, apples, strawberries, etc. Dipping fruit in chocolate is a favorite - but don't limit yourself! This page is divided into the following sections:
* Easy Microwave Method
* Homemade Dipping Chocolate
* Fun Decorating
Easy Microwave Dipping Method
By far, the easiest way to make dipping chocolate is by using the ready-made microwavable dipping chocolate that you can buy in a disposable container. One tub of chocolate will cover about 15 to 18 medium sized food items. You need: - A tub (or two) of microwavable dipping chocolate, either dark or milk chocolate.
- Things to dip – such as large pretzel sticks, regular looped pretzels, apple pieces, apricots, strawberries, pieces of pound cake, etc. Especially for dipping fruit in chocolate, anything that you wash must be patted dry really well. Moisture can cause the chocolate to lump or get grainy.
Cover a platter with wax paper and set aside.
Remove the cover from the chocolate container, and microwave for about 50 seconds on medium setting. Stir. After that, heat and stir every 15 seconds. It is important not to overcook so that the mixture does not get stiff and thick. Just heat until there are a few pieces of chocolate left to melt on their own. Stir until all melted. If your chocolate does get stiff or too thick, it will work to stir in a couple of drops of vegetable oil. Let the chocolate cool for just a minute.
At this point you can begin dipping your items, laying them on wax paper to cool. If you’re using tall pretzels, you can stand 2 or 3 upright in a mug to cool, to prevent them from getting flattened chocolate on one side. If you are going to decorate, some things should be done while the chocolate is still soft, so the decorations stick.
See our decorating ideas below. When finished, put the platter into the fridge so the chocolate will harden – at least ½ hour. Remove just before serving – it’s best to keep them cool as long as possible. They can be transferred to a nicer serving platter without wax paper, if you'd like. Pedestal serving trays look wonderful for these. They also look nice on doilies.
Easy Home-Made Dipping Chocolate: You need: - 2 cups chocolate chips, or small chocolate chunks.
- Try white chocolate for a different look and taste. White chocolate chips are easiest instead of bark.
- 2 Tbsp shortening. (I've found that butter or oil can make the mixture become slimy, and more difficult to make the chocolate stick).
- Things to dip – large pretzels, regular looped pretzels, apple pieces, apricots, strawberries, cookies, pieces of pound cake, etc. Make sure you thoroughly pat dry anything that you wash. Moisture can cause the chocolate to lump or get grainy.
In an uncovered double boiler, slowly melt together the chocolate chips and shortening. If you don’t have a double boiler, take a deep skillet, fill with about 3 inches of water, then set a sauce pan with your mixture inside the pan of water. This is an important way to melt the chocolate to avoid burning. Initially you can use medium heat to warm up the burner, but then turn it down to low heat. Make sure no steam leaks out of the double boiler or pan and gets moisture into the chocolate. This can ruin the consistency and it won’t work. Stir very frequently until almost all melted. Let the last few bits melt on their own. It is important not to overcook, or the consistency can get stiff, overly thick, even lumpy. (If this happens, it may be difficult to fix. You can try putting in a couple drops of vegetable oil and stir well). Let the mixture cool slightly, but keep it warm for dipping. Then follow the same process for dipping as the above Easy Method.
Decorating:
There are so many ways to decorate, it’s mostly stretching your imagination. Here are a few ideas.
- When chocolate is still warm, roll or dip in shredded coconut.
- Roll or dip in colored sprinkles.
- Drizzle on frosting from a tube to make a swirly striped look.
- You can tint white chocolate dip by adding a couple drops of food coloring while the chocolate is still warm. I made pink for one of the pretzels on the right, in the mug.
- Turn them into characters (including seasonal characters like for Halloween or Winter). Just add faces from candies, and hats. Bow-shaped noodles make cute bow ties too. I have also used jiggly eyes from the craft store, but these obviously have to be removed before eating! Using extra chocolate or frosting in a tube as “glue” works great. You can also attach items with halves of toothpicks. (Don’t try to stab a toothpick into a pretzel though – the pretzel will probably crack!)
- You can use small donuts or chocolate Twinkies as stands.
- For gifts, put several dipped chocolate items, with other candies or small gifts, into a decorative box (you can make one as a separate project), a gift bag, or a mug filled with wrapped candies or nuts, and tied with a bow. An especially meaningful gift container is if the participant has a special teacup, mug, box, etc., that they’d like to pass down as a momento or heirloom.
- Make your own gifts tags as another project. An easy example is by bringing in old greeting cards, cutting them into small rectangles with each having part of the greeting card picture on it. Then use the blank back to write your name. You can punch a hole in the top and attach with a ribbon.
Can you guess how these dipping chocolate characters were decorated?
Also see these fun pages:
Make Chocolate Covered Strawberries
-- Learn how to use dipping chocolate to make special chocolate covered strawberries - the easy way! And fun decorating projects too! For all ages; also makes great senior activity ideas.
Really Easy Apple Craft Ideas
-- Try these really easy apple craft Ideas (for all ages). Apples are not only abundant in fall, they are available all year long, so these ideas are perfect any time.
Delicious Healthy Dessert Recipes
-- Our healthy dessert recipes are delicious and fresh. Lots of ways to modify and use them too, including for low salt or sugar ideas. Fun to make for either groups or individually. Check these out!
Healthy Snack Recipes
-- Healthy snack recipes are becoming almost a rage these days. And we’ve got some super-delicious, super-easy, super-healthy ones for all ages. These also make great projects.
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