Background: I don’t have a huge sweet tooth, but when I do get the hankering for something sweet, it’s chocolate. My kids, on the other hand, are sugar fiends. Since prohibition rarely works, I am trying (in the experiments and planning stage) to steer them toward making higher end sweets from B-corp chocolate companies instead of eating the garbage candy that comes in every holiday. This is a fun activity that the kids can get involved in. Here’s what I’m trying:

1. Get some good chocolate from a reputable company with a good rating on the chocolate scorecard and keep it on hand.
2. Start saving things like pretzels, granola, graham crackers, nuts, seeds, etc that aren’t moving very quickly in your house in the freezer.
3. Get a silpat and a sheet tray that fits.
4. Get a pot and an ovenproof glass or stainless steel bowl that sits on the top without gaps.
5. Fill the pot with water and bring to a boil.
6. Place the bowl on top of the boiling water to make a double boiler.
7. Put the chocolate in the bowl and melt slowly.
8. While it’s melting, put the silpat on the sheet tray and arrange whatever you are going to cover–nuts, pretzels, granola, all of the above–on the silpat.
9. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides and keep it moving.
10. Once it’s melted, dip a spoon, ladle or measuring cup into the chocolate and drizzle over your chosen substrate.
11. Let cool slowly.

Why It Works

1. Chocolate companies have started taking sustainability seriously. Sourcing good sustainably made chocolate is easier with the scorecard and retailers that stock goods from reputable chocolate companies.
2. I have a container in my freezer where I gather those last couple Graham crackers, the pretzels that weren’t the right shape, granola that didn’t have enough goodies to get eaten, and the nuts that were the wrong texture.
3. A silpat is a silicone sheet that can withstand more than 400 degrees of heat. It’s also a kind of nonstick surface that makes freeing the chocolate easy.
4. These are the components of a double boiler.
5. A double boiler is the best way to melt chocolate
6. Double boilers allow you to heat the chocolate with even heat. Without this method chocolate may seize or burn.
7. Melting slowly and keeping the temperature even allows for the tempering of the chocolate, which should help it retain a glossy smooth look.
8. Preparing your substrate while the chocolate is melting is an efficient use of time. The silpat will aid in easily removing the chocolate covered goodness because the chocolate won’t stick to it.
9. Moving the chocolate keeps everything melting at an even rate.
10. Keep the chocolate at an even temp so it doesn’t overcook or cool down too quickly.
11. Let it cool at room temperature so that you restrain the smooth sheen of well tempered chocolate.