Edible Chalkboard

Surprise your child's teacher with an Edible Chalkboard! This simple treat is so much fun to make and such an easy project. Have fun creating this tasty craft with your kids!

The end of the school year was always so exciting for me, knowing that I'd get to spend a few months hanging out either at the pool or in a friend's back yard just having fun. However, knowing that I would not be in class with my favorite teachers the next year always made me a little sad.

So, as the school year was coming to an end, my mom and I would create handmade crafts or bake up some sweet treats to give to my teachers to thank them for being so special.If you and your kids are looking for a project to do together that would make a great teacher's gift, why not try making these really cute chalkboards made from chocolate?

You can personalize these edible chalk boards with a special message from your child and I am certain any teacher would love receiving this gift.

These chocolate chalkboards can be made several different ways. I made my own large chocolate bars, but you can just buy your favorite chocolate bars if you prefer.

You will need to make your own edible chalk, by pouring melted white confectionery coating/candy melts (or tempered white chocolate) into a drinking straw. Once the candy is hardened, you simply push the candy chalk out of the straw, using a wooden skewer or toothpick, and break it into pieces. Then you use the chalk to write a special message on the chocolate chalkboard.

A bit of powdered sugar can be sprinkled over the chocolate chalkboard and brushed off using a pastry brush to make your chalkboard look as though it has been used by a classroom of students. If you want to add some special touches to your boards, you can add a frame, an apple, or any other decoration using modeling chocolate.

Chocolate Chalkboards

Before you begin, if you plan on making your own candy bars and/or modeling chocolate decorations and are not experienced making chocolate, check out my Chocolate Making Tips. You will find all you need to know about making and coloring modeling chocolate to use as decorations for your chalkboards.

Ingredients:

dark chocolate candy bars (larger, thicker bars work best)

white confectionery coating/candy melts (¼ cup makes enough chalk for 8-10 boards)
powdered sugar (about ¼ teaspoon per chalkboard)
optional decorations: modeling chocolate

Special Equipment Needed:

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 long toothpick
optional: candy bar candy molds (I used a 6-½" by 4-½" rectangle mold)

Instructions:

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

If making your own candy bars, melt dark confectionery coating/candy melts (or temper pure dark chocolate) and pour into candy bar molds. Freeze candy to set (refrigerate pure chocolate bars) then un-mold the bars and let them come up to room temperature before proceeding.Note: The candy mold that I used needed 5.75 ounces to fill, so I used just over a pound of chocolate to make my three bars.

The amount of chocolate you will need will depend on the size of candy bar mold you use. I recommend you use bars at least this big to make your chalkboards. If you buy bars, make sure they are at least 5" long, so you have plenty of room to write your message.If you make or buy break apart bars (bars that are scored on one side to make it easier to break apart the candy bar) make sure the bars are pretty thick. When you write on them with the white chocolate chalk, you'll need to use a bit of pressure and you don't want to break your bars. You might want to buy or make an extra bar just in case you do break one. Just a thought. I hate having to run to the store in the middle of a project. Plus an extra chocolate bar will never go to waste.

Now to transform your candy bar into a chalkboard, you need to rough up the surface of the candy bar. Take a pastry brush or a paper towel and rub the bar to take away the shine of the bar. You don't want to rub so hard that you end up with indentations, just enough to dull the surface.

To make the white chocolate chalk:

Pour a few inches of sugar in a glass. Insert drinking straws into the sugar. I used three straws and had more than enough chalk for my three chalkboards. 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 each of the straws filling completely. Squeeze 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 too long and wont come out of the straw.

To remove the candy from the straw, push a wooden skewer or toothpick into the straw and push the candy up and out of the straw. If the candy won't come out, you may need to freeze it for a minute or two longer.Break the candy chalk into pieces. Allow to come to room temperature before using on chocolate chalkboard.

Use the candy chalk to write a special message on your candy bars. You will break several pieces of candy chalk while writing each message. Well, I did, anyway. I found smaller pieces worked best. Once you've completed your writing, sprinkle some powdered sugar over the candy bar.Use the pastry brush to brush the powdered sugar across the candy bar. Your chalkboard now looks like it has had a lot of school lessons written and wiped away over the years. You can stop now. The chalkboards will surely be a big hit just as they are. Wrap them in clear cellophane bags or using clear cellophane sheets. Tie on some ribbon and you have a fun teacher's gift.

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

To add a frame around your chalkboard:

Dust your work surface with some powdered sugar. Roll some brown modeling chocolate (either make modeling chocolate using milk chocolate or tint white modeling chocolate with brown candy coloring) out to ⅛" thickness. Cut into ½"-1" thick strips.

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.

Reheat the white candy melts in the microwave on defrost for 10 second intervals, stirring after each, until melted. Use a bit of melted candy to attach the frame pieces and a few pieces of candy chalk to the chalkboard.

To make an apple, color some white modeling chocolate with red candy coloring. Pinch off about a teaspoonful and roll into a ball.  Flatten and shape it into an apple shape.  Color some modeling chocolate brown to create the apple stems and some green for the leaves.  Attach decorations with melted confectionery coating/candy melts.

These chocolate chalkboards can be personalized for any occasion and will make great gifts for teachers, students, and faculty members.

If you are looking for more fun Back to School or Teacher Appreciation Gift ideas be sure to check out all these other amazing food craft and recipe ideas on my School & Teacher Treats Page.

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Beth

Hi, I'm Beth Jackson Klosterboer, a professional chocolatier & baker, cookbook author, and event planner. I love sharing recipes for happy occasions here on Hungry Happenings. I also create easy fudge recipes to share at HowToMakeEasyFudge.com, rice krispie treat recipes at HowToMakeCerealTreats.com, and easy cookie recipes at HowToMakeEasyCookies.com

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