It's only days to Christmas, and everyone is busy, scurrying, wrapping, baking, and preparing for the big day. There is a whisper of"hurry up, hurry up" in the air, excitement, tinsel, and glitter are everywhere. Which makes it hard to concentrate on blogging, and that is to be expected. For those of you who are new to my blog I thought you might like to visit a older post, a funny one from last year…my Misadventures in chocolate. Hopefully I won't be repeating my mistakes once again…but you never know. Besides, any chocolate is good, even if it's not perfect.
A gift to give?
What to give those who say they don't want anything for Christmas that takes up space, needs to be fed, watered or looked after. I've given this a lot of thought, and decided that chocolate pretty much fit the bill for all the prerequisites. My family has been a big believer in usable gifts for a long time, use it up, eat it up, or pass it on. Just think, perfectly decorated packages of sweets, wrapped up with sugar plums, and sparkles.I can see it now. Thus began the first of my misadventures in chocolate.
5 days to Christmas…
Step one: Research. Time spent on Pinterest no longer me languishing between chores, and outings, it was research, thus totally justifiable. I’m looking for recipes for handmade chocolates, I stated to anyone who dared to question my massive amounts of computer time. Step two: Supplies. Chocolate, and lots of it. Candy canes, sprinkles, pretzel rods, dried fruit, marshmallows… the list could be endless.
And delicious. Step 3: Wait. You can’t make home made chocolates to far before the magical day… they won’t remain uneaten, or perfectly formed. No one wants to eat a box of chocolates that have bloomed before their time.
4 days to Christmas, starting to sweat a little at the thought. Carpe diem, seize the day: Should be rewritten as Carpe socolatum. Or seize the chocolate.
Did you know that when melting chocolate even the tiniest, minuscule amount of moisture… I read even a drop on your freshly washed hands mixed in with the chocolate will make it seize up… and it’s not a pretty sight.
Ask me how I know?
Mmhmm, yes, 4 times in a row.
3 days to Christmas, dreaming of chocolate. Google why won’t my chocolate melt, and find out that it’s not only not melted, it’s seized up like a cranky old lawnmower engine… and it’s not moving anymore. Yes, apparently you can save it, but is it worth it? Reindeer balls: A new concoction invented to use up seized chocolate that can no longer be used for dipping, or creating anything lovely and desirous. Fudgy balls, dipped in cocoa.
2 days to Christmas: Whew… this is harder then I thought. It’s a rocky road: really it was a rocky, rocky road.
You know that childhood favourite, Rocky Road fudge, it comes in two flavours, chocolate, and some other kind that’s not important. Has chocolate and mini marshmallows, peanuts, and other overly sweet ingredients…? Super easy, even kids can make it?
I renamed it A very rocky road fudge, and yes it was hard to cut into little pieces, but doesn’t everyone loves a great big chunk of crunchy, chocolate fudgy chewy mess for Christmas?
1 day to Christmas: I’m thinking a commercial box of chocolates sounds pretty good right about now. Dip pretzel rods into caramel sauce, watch it drip all over the parchment paper, and see chocolate coating run off into hot little rivulets. Boil mixture till the cows come home.
Christmas day:
Pull it all together, it’s amazing what a few ounces of sprinkles can hide, layer reindeer balls, mint melties, a very rocky road fudge, and other delights in the cutest little jars, pack them with a good jar of caramel sauce, and hope that no one breaks a sweet tooth. Sit back and watch their eyes light up when they open the gifts… misadventures in chocolate forgotten for another year. Photos? Of chocolates you ask? Sorry they were all eaten before I could take any. I hope that you enjoyed reading this post, I still can't believe that I pulled it all off in time for Christmas last year…this year, well there are still a few things to be finished, but I am leaving the chocolate to those who have better luck.