Someone asked me the other day if I’d seen any Christmas Carolers this year. Nope, not this year or for the past many years. I did, however, get serenaded by a young girl singing the “Twelve Days of Christmas” while we walked through Woodland Lights the other night at our local park. It was adorable. She kept singing the wrong words, and her father would correct her, then she’d sing those words even louder to make up for getting them wrong the first time. I loved it. I miss having carolers come to our door and have fond memories of going caroling myself.
Since I haven’t seen Christmas carolers lately, but know they do, or at least did exist, I decided to make my modeling chocolate caroler look old fashioned, complete with a top hat. I created him as I have with all my other designs, but this time I chose to affix the design to a candy bar. It was so simple. All I had to do was brush water on the back of the design and press it onto the bar. It stuck!
On one candy bar, I chose to hand cut letters using alphabet cookie cutters, but the letters are pretty big, so I couldn’t write too much. On another bar, I used a black edible food marker to handwrite the message. I used a white chocolate bar so that the dark top hat would show up well, but if you choose to top a candy bar with the Penguin, Christmas Mouse, polar bear, Inuit Children, Reindeer, Santa Claus, Elves, Snowmen, Toy Soldier or Mrs. Claus design, you could use a milk or dark chocolate bar depending on the colors in the design. Colored food markers will write on dark and milk chocolate. They don’t show up quite as well as they do on white, but they do look pretty good.
UPDATE: I can’t even believe this but hours after I posted this, guess
who knocked on my door. Yep, Christmas Carolers. Students from the
middle school that is at the back of our neighborhood came around
singing songs. So cool. It made me so happy. I treated them with some
chocolate to thank them for stopping by my house.
For those of you visiting for the first time and for those that haven’t read my first post in this series featuring Christmas Mouse Cookies and the post which inspired this entire series featuring Chocolate Penguin Rice Krispies Treat Pops, you might want to check them out so you know all of the basics about decorating with modeling chocolate/chocolate clay.
Christmas Caroler Candy Bars
Before you begin, if you aren’t experienced with making chocolate, read my chocolate making tutorial which includes information on types of chocolate to use, melting instructions and the recipe for modeling chocolate.
You’ll need:
white modeling chocolate, recipe here*
peach (or orange), brown, black candy/food coloring*
food handling gloves (highly recommended to use when adding color)
powdered sugar, to dust work surface
cutting board
rolling pin
food only paint brush
knife
white chocolate candy bars (about a 4 ounce homemade or store bought bar)
*
I used dark modeling chocolate to create the eyes and hat and milk modeling chocolate to make the hair, but you can simply
color some white modeling chocolate with black and brown food coloring instead. Or if you make dark and white modeling chocolate, just blend some of each together to create brown.
I used dark modeling chocolate to create the eyes and hat and milk modeling chocolate to make the hair, but you can simply
color some white modeling chocolate with black and brown food coloring instead. Or if you make dark and white modeling chocolate, just blend some of each together to create brown.
Instructions:
Pinch off some white
modeling chocolate and color it black for the hat, eyes, and mouth (or use dark.) Color some brown (or use milk.) Leave a small amount white for the hat band and color the rest peach
(skin toned) for the caroler’s face. For detailed coloring instructions, go here. This is where I wear those food handling gloves, otherwise my hands turn a rainbow of colors.
modeling chocolate and color it black for the hat, eyes, and mouth (or use dark.) Color some brown (or use milk.) Leave a small amount white for the hat band and color the rest peach
(skin toned) for the caroler’s face. For detailed coloring instructions, go here. This is where I wear those food handling gloves, otherwise my hands turn a rainbow of colors.
Dust a cutting board lightly with powdered sugar. Roll out the brown (or milk),
white, peach, and black (or dark) modeling chocolate to 1/16th of an
inch thickness. Use the egg shaped cookie cutter to cut out peach
colored modeling chocolate for each face.
white, peach, and black (or dark) modeling chocolate to 1/16th of an
inch thickness. Use the egg shaped cookie cutter to cut out peach
colored modeling chocolate for each face.
Either copy and size the hat and hair
templates shown in the picture above before cutting them out
of paper, or hand cut your own templates. Set the hat template over
some black modeling chocolate and cut out around it. Cut
the hair out of brown modeling chocolate.
templates shown in the picture above before cutting them out
of paper, or hand cut your own templates. Set the hat template over
some black modeling chocolate and cut out around it. Cut
the hair out of brown modeling chocolate.
Use the small end of the #10 round
pastry tip to cut two small circles
for each of the eyes out of black or dark modeling chocolate.
To do this you’ll want to press the pastry tip, tip side down, into
the modeling chocolate cutting a small circle, then turn it upside
down and tap on counter and the circles will drop out the larger end
of the tip. I usually cut a bunch of circles, before turning the tip
upside down. To make his eyes moon shaped, use the tip to cut off a
small amount from each circle. Cut round noses out of peach modeling
chocolate using the same technique. Use the #10 tip to cut out each mouth, then press the circle in between your thumb and finger to make the circle a bit larger and somewhat more oval.
pastry tip to cut two small circles
for each of the eyes out of black or dark modeling chocolate.
To do this you’ll want to press the pastry tip, tip side down, into
the modeling chocolate cutting a small circle, then turn it upside
down and tap on counter and the circles will drop out the larger end
of the tip. I usually cut a bunch of circles, before turning the tip
upside down. To make his eyes moon shaped, use the tip to cut off a
small amount from each circle. Cut round noses out of peach modeling
chocolate using the same technique. Use the #10 tip to cut out each mouth, then press the circle in between your thumb and finger to make the circle a bit larger and somewhat more oval.
Cut a strip out of white for each hat band.
Attach the modeling chocolate pieces
together using water. Example: brush the back side of the hair with
water and press it onto the middle of the peach egg. Top it with the hat.
together using water. Example: brush the back side of the hair with
water and press it onto the middle of the peach egg. Top it with the hat.
Brush water on the back side of your Christmas caroler and press it onto the smooth side of your candy bar. If you want to cut letters out of modeling chocolate, roll it out to 1/16th of an inch thickness and cut. You will need a skewer, lollipop stick, or something like it to push the letters out of the cutters. Affix them to the candy bar with water. Otherwise, use an black food coloring marker to handwrite a message.
Store in an airtight container, or package in clear cellophane bags to give as gifts. These would make great bake sale or craft show items. They can even be personalized on the spot.
Up next: Christmas Ornaments on Creamy Coconut Candy
If you like this recipe, please share it with others by using the
share buttons below. I really appreciate being Stumbled Upon and Pinned,
and am always grateful to those of you that share my ideas on your
website. I do request that you don’t post my entire tutorial, but rather
share a picture with a link. If you make this recipe, I’d love for you
to send me a photo to beth@hungryhappenings.com so that I can share it here. Thank you for visiting Hungry Happenings
share buttons below. I really appreciate being Stumbled Upon and Pinned,
and am always grateful to those of you that share my ideas on your
website. I do request that you don’t post my entire tutorial, but rather
share a picture with a link. If you make this recipe, I’d love for you
to send me a photo to beth@hungryhappenings.com so that I can share it here. Thank you for visiting Hungry Happenings
-Beth
It's a fun activity to make candies on special occasions. We just have to be careful not to eat too much to avoid emergency dental care .