This is one of the all-time great Valentine’s Day homemade gifts (and it’s not really a recipe…more like a very impressive technique). Although it might look like it’s hard to prepare, it really isn’t…and it’s a lot of fun to make.
Easy, fun and really impressive…the trifecta in homemade gift preparation!
1. Grab a few bulk coffee-bean bags from your grocery store (they are by the bulk coffee..and they’re FREE!). You need bags that are lined with a plastic coating so after being painted with chocolate, you can peel them off easily. Cut the coffee bags so they are about 3-5 inches tall.
2. Then, in a double boiler over low heat, melt 2-3 cups of semisweet chocolate morsels.
3. Lay a bag on its side, and with a pastry brush, start at the bottom and paint the melted chocolate over the entire interior of the bag. Use plenty of chocolate to get a nice thick layer coating the inside of the bag, which will make it less likely for the chocolate to break when peeling off the bag later. Repeat with additional bags.
4. Stand the bags up and place in the refrigerator to harden for at least 30 minutes and….
5. When the chocolate is nice and hard, starting in one corner, gently peel away the bag. Use a scissor to cut the paper off as you slowly peel it away…it just makes it easier (if you do get a break, it’s really easy to repair with a little melted chocolate “glue”). Once it’s all peeled, what you have left is beautiful, free-standing solid chocolate, goody bag.
6. Melt some more chocolate and dip strawberries, sliced bananas and whatever else your significant other loves into the melted chocolate. Lay them down on waxed paper or a silicone baking mat (to prevent sticking) and allow to dry and harden. A very cool added touch is to melt some white chocolate and use that to drizzle designs on the dipped treats.
Then just fill the bags with the chocolate-coated fruity treats and your favorite candies (nonpareils, M&Ms…etc)Â and you have an incredibly impressive presentation for your loved one on Valentine’s Day. It sure sealed the deal for me!