Ever have Kinder Surprise eggs when you were growing up? I did, and they made eating chocolate awesome! This project is a similar surprise, but instead of little toys, we’ll fill it with M&M’s. And for our mold we’ll use a milk jug, to create a white chocolate bottle that looks just like the real thing. This project is not only a fun cooking session, it’s a good introduction to mold-making and casting.
Put the chocolate in your heatproof bowl. (In a pinch, you can use a Mason jar.) Melt it slowly in the microwave (heat 1 minute, stir, then 15-second intervals) or on the stove (pour 2″ of water into a pot, simmer, then set the bowl on top), stirring occasionally, until it becomes liquid. Take care not to get any water in your chocolate, as this can change the texture.
TIP: You can do the same trick with a Coke bottle and bittersweet chocolate!
Don your oven mitts to pick up the bowl and pour some melted chocolate into the milk jug. Immediately, turn the container all around so that the chocolate covers the inside completely. Repeat this process a couple of times to make sure the walls aren’t too thin, so they won’t break when you pull the chocolate out of the jug.
When you’ve covered the whole surface well, place the container in the fridge and let it cool for a good 10–15 minutes.
When the chocolate is chilled, use an X-Acto knife to carefully cut the container away without damaging the chocolate. (I tried pre-cutting and taping my jug so this would be easier, but it didn’t work much better than just cutting the jug away.)
Gently reapply the label to your new chocolate bottle and fit the cap back on.
Fill your look-alike bottle with treats (or tiny toys), cap it, and surprise someone. You can pour the treats out, or just break the bottle open — and eat it!
