By Pamela Lee

At holiday time, making your own chocolate goodies is a crafty and fun-filled afternoon. Following are my recipes for: chocolates, ganache frosting and chocolate clay figures and bouquets.

All are free of: The top 8 allergens, sesame and gluten. Enjoy!

Homemade Chocolates

Try whipping up some professional-looking chocolates. You’ll need store-bought molds in designs such as Santas, angels or bunnies.

“Tempering” will be crucial. That’s the process of heating then cooling chocolate to specific temperatures to produce glossy-looking treats that “snap” when you break them and look store-bought. Chocolate is finicky (one drop of water can ruin an entire batch) and it burns easily – so go slowly. It’s best to make small batches of a few chocolates at a time until you get the hang of it.

Ingredients

• 1 bag of allergen-free, semi-sweet chocolate chips*

Method

1. Using a BPA-free microwave-safe plastic bowl, melt 2/3 of the chocolate in the microwave slowly until it reaches 110 degrees F. (I set my micro to power level 2, and checked the temperature using a chocolate thermometer every 25 seconds.)
2. With a silicone spatula, stir in the remaining unheated chocolate until it melts. Stir until the thermometer temperature reaches 88 degrees F, then pour into molds.
3. Overfill a little, and use a straight-edged knife to level. Gently bang the mold on a flat surface to release air bubbles. Refrigerate until the chocolate is set, then release from mold.

*Note: I used Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet Chocolate Mini Chips ^[1] for this recipe and the ganache. There are other brands of allergen-free chocolate available as well.

Editor’s Note: Pamela writes the “Allergic Diva” column in the Canadian edition of Allergic Living magazine ^[2].

Next Page: GanacheGanache

Once you try this versatile concoction, you’ll be hooked.

Ingredients

• 250 g (8 oz) allergen-free semi-sweet chocolate chips*
• 224 mL (1 cup) coconut cream**

Method

1. Heat coconut cream until simmering, then add chocolate and stir until smooth. Use it right away on top of cake or cupcakes to produce a glossy, thick icing.

Other Uses

Put it in a container and refrigerate (up to a week) to use as a spread, as a frosting or heated for fondue. Spoon it into heated milk (soy, rice, hemp, oat) for a decadent cup of hot chocolate. Can also add a touch of your favorite flavor extract or liquor and use the ganache to fill the molded chocolates above.

**Note: For nut allergies – most allergists consider coconut safe to be eaten by those with tree-nut allergies. But you may wish to check with your own doctor.

Next Page: Chocolate ClayChocolate Clay

Try this recipe to make chocolate letters, figures or even beautiful chocolate bouquets.

Ingredients

• 330 g (1 bag) Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet Chocolate Mega Chunks
• 90 g (3 oz) white corn syrup

Method

1. Melt chocolate, then add the corn syrup, stirring thoroughly.
2. Spread on wax paper and let dry for two hours.
3. Knead until it becomes soft and pliable.
4. Create your own decorative designs, such a petaled flowers in a bouquet.
   No need to refrigerate; like modelling clay, it will hold its shape.