Is there anything better than chocolate? I mean really, is there? I was at Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory recently, the holy land of all things chocolate, and had one of their chocolate covered Rice Krispies squares. Cover anything in chocolate and it goes from regular to exceptional, but chocolate covered Rice Krispies squares? Perfection. They're chewy and chocolaty and sweet and crunchy. They're just the tastiest things ever. I knew wanted to try making some because, over Christmas I made chocolate dipped marshmallows, fell in love with molding chocolate, and was dying for an excuse to use it again.
And then along came Valentines Day.
Of course! Valentines Day is chocolate's biggest holiday, so this was a perfect opportunity to head on over to the Bulk Barn and peruse their molding chocolate aisle. I didn't really have a plan, other than I wanted to dip Rice Krispies squares, but when I saw they had pink and purple molding chocolate, I naturally thought...I'll make a flower arrangement! And this is how you do it.
What you will need is
1) Rice Krispies squares. You could make your own, but the pre-made ones are already in perfect rectangles and are firm enough to hold up during the dipping process. And it's Valentines Day. Not Kill Yourself In The Kitchen Day.
2) Cheap fake flowers. Emphasis on cheap. Like dollar store cheap. Cheesy and whimsical is the look we're going for here. Pick up one bundle that has many stems that you can cut apart.
3) Molding chocolate. I chose pink and purple, but you can use any colour you like. I bought way too much molding chocolate, but it's OK because, as I learned at Christmas, it makes a great snack all on it's own.
4) Green ribbon. I chose green ribbon to act as leaves for my Rice Krispies flowers.
5) A terracotta pot and Styrofoam ball. Make sure the Styrofoam ball fits into the terracotta pot, and doesn't stick up over the top too much.
6) Lollipop sticks. They should be a medium length. You will be sticking them into the Rice Krispies squares and into the Styrofoam ball, and you'll want them to still be long enough act as a stem for the flowers.
7) Little bags. The ones I picked up are called Ribbon Lollipop Bags. Just make sure the bags you buy are big enough to fit a Rice Krispies square, and still have enough room to tie it with the ribbon.
Step 1. Stick the lollipop sticks into the Rice Krispies squares. Easy peasy.
Step 2. Melt your molding chocolate in the microwave. Use small intervals, 30-60 seconds at a time, stirring in between, until melted. Then, spoon the melted chocolate over the Rice Krispies square and use the back of the spoon to smooth it out so you have a nice, even coat and the whole square is covered in chocolate.
Step 3. Let the chocolate covered Rice Krispies squares dry on a piece of parchment paper or silicone baking sheet. I find the silicone backing sheets work best. If you use parchment paper, be sure to move the Rice Krispies squares a couple of times during the drying process to ensure they don't stick.
Step 5. Arrange the flowers in the terracotta pot, sticking the bottom of the sticks into the Styrofoam ball.
Step 6. Finish off your flower arrangement by adding in the fake flowers. And that's it!
We're going to a Valentines party with the kids on Sunday, and I'm going to bring this as a hostess gift / treat for the kiddies. If you're having a party, another idea is to put each flower in it's own mini terracotta pot as a party favour. Or, make an arrangement just for you and eat the whole thing before the kids get home from school. I was more than a little tempted to do this myself.
Happy Valentines Day!
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