DIY Mickey Mouse Chocolates

 This project is sinfully easy. I tend to make these for our trips, but they could easily be used as party favors, holiday treats, or simple every day magic makers.

We have a couple food allergies to deal with in the Cottage: nuts and food dyes cause a major inconvenience when it comes to sweets. Halloween and Easter provide particular challenges. Of course one of our elves can't have nuts, another can't have synthetic dyes - so most manufactured candy is out. Our first Easter of restrictions at the Cottage I was panicky. What sort of sweets could I put in their baskets? I decided to try making my own chocolates, as I could be certain it was completely nut-free. (One caveat: the Wilton candy is made on machines that also make products with nuts. Our nut allergy is not severe enough to warrant avoiding this. As always, use your best judgement when selecting your base chocolate.) I was shocked to find how easy this is. Seriously, if you haven't tried it, you really should. And the payoff is awesome! Innocent bystanders are always really impressed with them. No one has to know it's this simple; I won't say anything if you don't.

Here's what you'll need:

• 1 bag of Wilton Candy Melts (Dark Cocoa, Chocolate and White are all dye-free) - you could 
• also use a bag of chocolate chips, but they are a tad harder to melt without going too far
• a microwave safe container for melting candy
• a spoon
• a candy mold - think outside the box with this, they don't have to be Mickey, they could be crowns, or castles, or stars, or anything that invokes a bit of Disney magic for your family

Follow the directions on the back of the package for melting the chocolate, usually 1 minute on 50% power, stir, and then 30 second increments, stirring in between, until chocolate is throughly melted. Spoon into molds, rap molds on counter to make sure chocolate gets into all the crevasses and all air bubbles are released, and cool. That's it! Once cool remove carefully. I often put mine in the refrigerator (even though the package says not to) so they will come out of the mold more easily. I've never met a kid that wouldn't eat the candy because it was too cloudy.

I used candy bags that you can find in the Wilton aisle of your local craft store for package these up. And for those who are curious, I found this candy mold on Ebay months and months ago. Have fun whipping up all sorts of sweet goodies for your little elves, or you next trip! Until next time, may all your days be filled with fairy dust!