Fresh molded chocolates! Tvarované čokolády

Who can resist a delectable piece of chocolate?!  We can't....  Here in the Czech Republic many often decorate their Winter Solstice and Christmas Trees with chocolates or other edible treats. What a great idea!
We bought some candy molds that were just waiting for use....so, chocolates are on the docket today.

Fresh molded chocolates! Tvarované čokolády
One easy way to make chocolates, if you're not experienced with the technique of tempering chocolate (see this website for instructions: http://candy.about.com/od/candybasics/ht/temperchoc.htm) which makes the chocolate brittle and snappy rather than filled with sugar crystals, is to melt chocolate that is already tempered. We chose to do the latter, since we didn't have a candy thermometer.
We chose to add some marzipan into the chocolate for additional flavor and texture!

Melt 15 oz. chocolate in a double boiler
Add in 1/3 cup Marzipan (you can make it fresh or buy it already made)
add Zest from one orange or tangerine
add 1 tblsp. Grand Marnier (more orange flavor....have a sip of some as well...it makes cooking so much more delightful!)
Stir. Keep over low steam and gently spoon them into your buttered molds.  Chill for 6-8 hours until rock hard. Then, remove from refrigerator and tap them to get the chocolates out.

Mmmmm...you might have to eat the trimmings that are cut off, in case you didn't get the molds exactly flat.

We then added some of our flavored, colored Marzipan on top as decorations and boxed them up:

Come on over for a chocolate!

Disclaimer: This blog is not an official University of Minnesota or Fulbright Program blog. The views expressed are my own and not those of the Fulbright Program, the U.S. Department of State or any of its partner organizations, or the University of Minnesota.