Easter Party Treats – Chocolate Easter Baskets
Chocolate Easter Baskets are great for an upcoming Easter Party. The best thing about them is that they are hard to mess up! This is also an easy project for kids to help with. Here are some simple steps:
1. Gather your materials, you will need:
- Chocolate (Wilton Melts work great)
- Mini Cupcake Holders
- Jelly Beans
- Coconut
- Paint Brush
2. Prepare your chocolate. I typically use Wilton Melts, but you can use whatever chocolate you are comfortable with. You can buy Wilton Melts at most craft stores, in white chocolate or regular chocolate. If you want to add some color to your cups, the white chocolate comes in different colors or you can color you own with an oil based food coloring. Make sure not to use a water based food coloring, because chocolate and water do not mix well.
Melt your chocolate by using a mini crock pot or stick it in the microwave. While using a crock pot, make sure it is set on low and you don't forget to stir it every 10 to 15 minutes. If you use a microwave, heat for 30 seconds and stir. Repeat this until your chocolate is melted. It is important to make sure you don't get your chocolate too hot. If you do it will become lumpy and unusable.
3. Pour your chocolate into the cupcake holders. You will want them halfway full. Spread the chocolate up to the top of the cupcake holder using your paint brush. They make special paint brushes to use with chocolate. You can find these at most craft stores with their chocolate candy accessories.
4. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.
5. Remove the chocolate from the molds. If you are using disposable molds, peel them off. If you are using metal molds, carefully turn the pan upside down and flex the sides of the pan back and forth. Depending on your pan they might just fall out. If they don't, you can hit the pan on the counter a couple of times to release the cups. If you have any jagged edges that you would like to smooth out, you can use a warm knife. When heating your knife, stick it in a cup of hot water for a few minutes and then wipe off the water. This will help smooth out any rough spots easily.
6. Add your coconut and jelly beans to your cups.
7. Enjoy them!