It takes about 10 minutes from start to finish and then about an hour for the candies to set at room temperature (or speed it up to mere minutes in the freezer or refrigerator if you need to). You can also flavor the chocolates with whatever flavoring extract or oil you wish, or my personal choice - to use sugar free chocolate to make your own sugar free chocolates! (If you or your children can't have sugar for health reasons you can remove and throw away the chocolate and refill with the sugar free version you can have).
Re-Using Advent Calendars
1 chocolate candy Advent Calendar from a previous year
1 cup chocolate chips or candy disks (sugar free, regular, white chocolate, mint, butterscotch, etc.)
1 t shortening or butter
extract or oils if you wish to flavor (or 1-2 t peanut butter, 1 crushed oreo, etc.)
ziploc baggy
Turn the package over and carefully slice open the top to remove the plastic candy mold from inside. Carefully wash the mold with hot soapy water and let dry completely. Make sure there are no drops of water inside your molds. Melt 1 cup of candy chips of your choice with 1 teaspoon butter or shortening. I used white chocolate chips and crushed an Oreo fine to make cookies and cream. Use whatever flavor mixture you wish. Melt either in a pan over simmering hot water until smooth or microwave. Do not over cook or your chocolate with seize and harden. Place in a ziploc baggy, trim one corner to make a small opening and squeeze the melted filling into each little candy crevice. Pick up the tray and drop it or tap it firmly against the counter top about 5-6 times to settle the melted candy, flatten them evenly and remove air bubbles. Let set to harden. Place back in the cardboard package.
slice open the package |
remove the candy mold |
wash and dry completely |
decide your favorite filling or just use chocolate chips |
fill each little mold with melted candy |
let harden before replacing in the cardboard package to reuse |