Making chocolates at home is an exciting venture. You can view with great satisfaction how friends and family enjoy your chocolate creations.

 Making dipped chocolates at home provides stunning results. They are ideal for entertaining and gift giving. Using a few tips, you can create an assortment of sweets with a silky chocolate coating.

Creating chocolate bon bons starts with getting ready a creamy filling. Add a flavour of vanilla or liqueur and then roll filling into balls, which are prepared to be dipped in chocolate.

If you want to eat the chocolate balls right away, you may wish not to waste time tempering the chocolate. Here are a few tips for creating chocolate bon bons:

• Mix together ingredients for filling: Take a 2–quart heavy saucepan and butter its sides. This way you prevent filling to rise and overflow the vessel. Combine water, corn syrup, sugar and light cream.
• Making soft balls: Cook filling over medium to low heat and stir constantly using a spoon made of wood. This prevents mix from becoming granular by completely dissolving the sugar and takes about 5 to 6 minutes. Attach a candy thermometer to the side of the vessel so it dips in mix. Cook with occasional stirring till thermo meter clocks 240 degrees F or soft ball stage. This should take 15 to 20 minutes.

Some tips are: While stirring the filling, gently stir so it doesn’t splash on sides of the vessel to prevent crystal formation.

• Rolling away the filling: Without stirring, cool the filling till it is lukewarm, which might take 45 minutes. Add flavour to filling using liqueur like coffee or amaretto or even vanilla. Now, beat the mix smoothly till it is creamy and still. Using your hands, roll out filling into balls measuring 1 inch and allow it to rest at room temperature till 20 minutes for drying.
• Making chocolate dips: To dip the filling balls, you may use confectioner’s coating, which is like chocolates and does not require tempering. You may also use your favourite chocolate. Taking great care drop the filling balls one by one into melted chocolate and turn them to coat.  Using a fork, lift each ball out of chocolate mix, wiping away any excess chocolate. Place each ball atop a baking sheet with wax paper lining. Let them rest on waxed paper till dry to touch. Keep them in a closed container and allow to rest in a dry, cool place.
• Melting chocolate: Tempering is advised for dipped chocolates, which will help it hold shape and get a glossy shine. You can melt chocolates on stove top or using a microwave.
• Ideas for dipping chocolate: You can use following ingredients- dried fruits like pears, apples, apricots with milk, white or dark chocolates. Pretzels, Caramels, Fresh strawberries, marsh mallows, caramels, whole nuts, truffles, cubed pieces of angel food cake may also be used.
• Drizzle on top: You can even drizzle following ingredients atop chocolates. They are pieces of fresh fruit, cheese cakes and cakes, nuts, dried cherries, cookies, cranberries, blond brownies or peanut butter or almond bark or toffees.

After making chocolate dips at home, you can send chocolates by post to a loved one far away. The gesture to send chocolates will be well-appreciated.

There are so many things people say about chocolates. Even though most of the people love eating it, there are several myths that are believed about this delicious treat. Since we are fans of chocolates too, we decided to debunk some myths regarding chocolates.

• Myth – White chocolate is a form of chocolate

That is not true. White chocolate is not a part of the chocolate family technically. White chocolate does not have any cocoa solids and is made out of cocoa butter, sugar and milk. If you see the ingredients, then it is clear that white chocolate does not really belong to the chocolate family. Sorry, white chocolate lovers!

• Myth – Chocolate increases weight

Well, excessive eating of chocolate can result in increase of weight, but if you have dark chocolate, then you can save yourself from gaining weight. But it is said that drinking chocolate milk post working out is extremely good for health and does not add on calories. If you do overboard with it, then any food will add up extra calories. So remove this from your head that chocolate is the reason you are gaining weight. If you correctly place chocolate in your diet, then you can shed some weight too!

• Myth – Chocolate has high caffeine properties

Chocolate barely has any caffeine properties. A basic coffee brewed at Starbucks has about 300 milligrams of caffeine in it whereas chocolate has only 9 milligrams and dark chocolate has around 20 milligrams. Though dark chocolate has a lot of caffeine compared to milk chocolate yet it is better than a cup of coffee you drink every day from Starbucks, right?

•  Myth – People with diabetes should not eat chocolate at all

Recent studies have shown that dark chocolate can be good for diabetic patients and can keep them away from strokes. Also, cocoa powder boiled in water and then consumed is great for diabetic patients as it helps their blood sugar. Other than this, there are special chocolates these days made for diabetic patients by several companies. They are basically dark chocolates without any additional sugar. They do taste a little bitter compared to the other chocolates but are great for health.

• Myth – Chocolate can cause tooth decay

Studies done in Japan showed that cocoa bean or powder form is the best way to keep tooth decay at bay. Chocolates are made with cocoa beans so technically they are good for your teeth. Like we stated earlier, if you go overboard with the eating of chocolates, then you will cause issues to your teeth, but if you have it in control, then it will not harm you at all. Plus, it is also said that the cocoa beans can help in removing the bacteria from the mouth, which causes tooth decays and other issues.

Stop believing in myths and don’t give up chocolates if you love them. If you eat it in a limit, then they are not going to harm you. The next time you send chocolates by post, add this info in a note form.

Do you love chocolates…?? Stupid question…! Who doesn’t love chocolates..?? Talking about the health benefits of chocolates, they are just too good..!! Check out these temptingly delicious recipes of chocolates, which you can actually try yourself.

Chocolate layer cake:

Prepare a mixture of cocoa, flour, salt, baking soda and granulated sugar.  Boil the blend of water and butter in a saucepan. Combine this resultant product with flour. Add eggs one at a time and then add vanilla and sour cream. Prepare the pans and divide the batter accordingly. Bake for about 40 minutes and let them cool down. Transfer them to your plates and enjoy..!

Chocolate chip cookies:

The baking process should be done at a temperature of 350⁰F. Use an electric blender to prepare a mixture of butter and sugars. To this mixture, add predetermined amounts of baking soda, baking powder, flour, cocoa and salt. Fold into chips and start the baking process. Once they are baked, allow them to cool on wire racks.

Bitter sweet chocolate soufflé:

Preheat the oven to a temperature of about 375⁰C. Add granulated sugar to the butter. Heat the blend of milk and chocolate in simmering water. Let the mixture lose its temperature and then whisk one egg at a time. Mix the compound using an electric blender. Bake for about 30 minutes and then it is ready to serve.

Chocolate cake:

 Mix the cake, pudding mixes, beaten eggs, sour cream, water and oil. Ensure to have the oven preheated to about 350⁰C. Add chocolate chips and stir well. Take a bundt pan, which is well greased and pour batter into it. 50 to 55 minutes would be a decent baking time. If the top gets springy when touched, it is an indication that the baking is completed. After cooling, you can use powdered sugar to dust the cake before serving.

Chocolate covered strawberries:

This is one of the simplest versions of chocolate, which are perfect for weddings. The major ingredients for this recipe are milk chocolate chips and strawberries with leaves. Melt the chocolate and stir occasionally in this process until a smooth mixture forms. The strawberries are inserted into this mixture using toothpicks. This compound is allowed to cool.

White chocolate cheesecake:

Prepare a mixture of cookie crumbs, sugar and butter. In a saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch and water. Boil this mixture, until the sauce gets thicker. The seeds can be removed by straining the sauce through the mesh. Melt the white chocolate chips in a preheated oven at a temperature of 165⁰c. In another bowl blend cheese, sugar and cream into a smooth mixture. Add the melted chocolate and vanilla. Pour the batter and then add raspberry sauce. Bake it and then refrigerate it for about 8 hours.   

Best brownies:

The ingredients in this recipe are sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla, cocoa, flour, salt and baking powder. Bake for approx. 30 minutes at a temperature of 175⁰c. Prepare frosting by using butter, cocoa, honey, vanilla and sugar. Turn it into a smooth mixture by continuous stirring. Make sure to frost brownies, before they lose heat.

Don’t just confine yourself with these recipes. Try every possible way of including chocolates in your diet. Spread this habit of consuming chocolates among your loved ones. Send chocolates by post or invite them to taste your recipes.