Chocolate Football Chalkboard

Gift a football coach or football player a Chocolate Football Chalkboard featuring a game plan. This edible chalkboard is fun to make and to eat.

The other day I was in the kitchen working on my first Super Bowl recipe when my husband came in and said, "I have an idea for a Super Bowl post." Now, my husband is a computer engineer - smart, yes, creative, not so much.

So, I looked up inquisitively not expecting much, but to my surprise, his idea was quite genius. I never should have doubted him:)

He suggested I re-purpose my chocolate chalkboards (pictured at left) to feature diagrams of football plays for Super Bowl parties. Fun, right?

So, as soon as I was finished working on my Prosciutto and Asiago Rice Cake Footballs, I got busy making two large choc-boards which could be used as centerpieces and either broken up and eaten as dessert or given away as prizes at the end of a Super Bowl party.

I also made some 3 ½" x 2" choc-boards that can be used as party favors. As I did before, I made white chocolate chalk which I used to draw on one of my boards (pictured below.)

I used another technique for the second board (pictured above) where I used a toothpick to edge a design onto the board and then brushed it with powdered sugar. I prefer the look of the boards that have the white chocolate chalk designs but the other looks good too.

If, like me, you aren't familiar with football plays, either copy one
of the diagrams on my boards, or do an Internet search for "football
plays, chalkboard." You'll find several different diagrams you can use.

Small choc-boards will make wonderful Super Bowl party favors.

Let's make some game plan chocolate chalkboards.

Before you begin, if you plan on making homemade chocolate bars and/or modeling chocolate decorations and are not experienced in making chocolate, read my Chocolate Making Tips page.

Ingredients

melted and tempered pure dark chocolate or melted dark confectionery coating/candy melts or use store-bought dark chocolate candy bars

¼ cup candy melts, if making your own chalk

powdered sugar

Optional decorations: modeling chocolate

Supplies

disposable pastry bag or a zip-top bag

Drinking straws (don't use bendable straws with ridges, you need a smooth surface)
glass filled with a few inches of sugar
wooden skewer or toothpick
pastry brush
optional: business card (3 ½" x 2") candy bar molds
I used a 7-inch by 10-inch non-stick baking pan for the large bars but any size will work well.

Instructions

Candy Bars (You can buy them or make them.)

Make large chocolate bars in a pan.

If making your own candy bars, melt dark confectionery coating/candy melts (or melt and temper pure dark chocolate) and pour it into candy bar molds or a non-stick baking pan.

Freeze the candy to set (refrigerate if using pure chocolate) then un-mold the bars and let them come up to room temperature before proceeding.

Note: The baking pan I used is 10" x 7" and  I made my bars about ⅓" thick so each used a pound of chocolate. Each of the small candy bars weighed 1 ounce. The amount of chocolate you will need will depend on the size of the candy bar mold you use. 

To make the white chocolate chalk: 

Make white chocolate chalk.

Pour a few inches of sugar into a glass. Insert drinking straws into the sugar. Pour ¼ cup of white confectionery coating into a small microwave-safe bowl. Heat on high for 10 seconds. Stir.

Heat for 10 more seconds. Stir vigorously. If wafers aren't melted, heat for 10-second intervals on medium power, stirring after each until melted. This small amount of candy will burn very easily, so be sure to melt slowly. You can also melt using a double boiler or skillet.

Once melted pour into a disposable pastry bag or a zip-top bag. Cut the tip off the bag. Squeeze candy into a straw filling completely. Fill as many straws as you'd like for your choc-boards.

Squeeze the remaining candy back into the bowl - if you plan to add any decorations to your chalkboards you will need it to attach the pieces of modeling chocolate. If you aren't going to add decorations, squeeze the remaining candy onto a piece of parchment paper and freeze it for 5 minutes then you can use it for another project.

Freeze your candy-filled straws for 5-10 minutes. Set your timer. You don't want to forget them in the freezer as the candy will become sticky if left in the freezer for too long and won't come out of the straw. To remove the candy from the straw, push a wooden skewer into the straw and push the candy up and out of the straw.

Writing on the chalkboards.

Break the candy chalk into pieces that you can use to write on the boards.

Use the white chocolate chalk to draw a football play on your chocolate chalkboard. As the white chocolate chalk softens from the heat of your hands, it might break. Just use another piece.

Brush on powdered sugar.

Sprinkle a small amount of powdered sugar over the candy bar. Brush it off using a pastry brush. This highlights the chalk marks and makes your boards look more like real chalkboards.

You can, if you want, use a paper towel to erase your diagram. Then you can draw another one before brushing on more powdered sugar.

Now this technique will only work a few times before you start seeing your last play under the new one, but it does make for some fun during your party.

You can use some melted chocolate to attach the chalk to your finished chalkboards if you'd like.

Optional toothpick method:

Use a toothpick to draw on a chalkboard.

Use a toothpick to scratch out the diagram of a football play on the chocolate chalkboard. Use a pastry brush to brush off the chocolate crumbs.

Brush powdered sugar over the top of the board.

Sprinkle on some powdered sugar. Brush it off using a pastry brush. The powdered sugar fills in the etched grooves so that the diagram now shows up well and looks like white chalk marks. This diagram is now permanently etched into the chalkboard, so you can't plan to make any changes.

You can see how the board on the left, made with the white chocolate chalk is a little more natural looking. The one on the right made with the toothpicks looks pretty good too; it has more powdered sugar on it which helps the etched diagram show up well.

If you want a more elaborate chalkboard you can use modeling chocolate to add decorations.

Add a frame around your chalkboard.

Make modeling chocolate using milk chocolate or tint white modeling chocolate with brown candy coloring (recipe here.)  Dust your work surface with some powdered sugar. Roll the modeling chocolate out to ⅛" thickness and a little longer than the longest side of your choc-board.

Cut into ½" thick strips. Use melted white confectionery coating to "glue" the modeling chocolate frame to your choc-board.

Brush a small amount of white chocolate on the backside of each strip. Place one strip on each of the four sides of your chalkboard, overlapping the strips at the corners.

You need to cut the strips at the corners so that they match up nicely. The easiest way to do this is to cut down through the overlapping strips at a 45-degree angle. Remove the excess modeling chocolate then gently press the two angled strips together. Repeat with all the corners.

Wrap chalkboards in cello bags.

Package your small chocolate chalkboards in cellophane bags and tie them with ribbons in your favorite team's colors.

I guess that means in 2012 all of your bars will have red, white, and blue whether you're cheering for the Patriots or the Giants.

Your large choc-boards can be set on an easel and used as a centerpiece for your table, set on a platter and served as dessert, or packaged in cellophane and given as a prize.

If you want more tailgating or homegating party ideas for the college football season, be sure to check out my Football Party Food ideas.