Chocolate Bowls for Ice Cream Sundaes

Are you looking for a dessert idea that looks way cool but is super simple? These chocolate bowls are great for serving ice cream sundaes. The simplest dessert is just setting out the ice cream, brownies and toppings for people to create their own sundae. People get really excited when they get to create their own...I guess it's kind of like going to an ice cream or yogurt shop where you get to choose your own mix-ins. This dessert works in all settings, from a nice Easter dinner, to a casual night of entertaining, to a fun birthday party.

I like to make both chocolate and vanilla bowls; strange, but some people actually prefer vanilla to chocolate. I typically use candy melts that you get by the bag from Michaels, JoAnns, etc. Most of them are chocolate flavor, but there is always a white one (or white with sparkles in it) that is vanilla flavored.

Toppings could include chocolate, caramel, butterscotch, chopped walnuts, sliced almonds, fresh berries, pineapple, whipped topping, sprinkles and maraschino cherries. And you can never go wrong with crushed Butterfingers or Heath bars and brownies or chocolate chip cookies. For Easter I will serve Tuxedo Bunnies and Chocolate Bird Nests with the ice cream sundaes. On another occasion I might serve Homemade Whoopie Pies  with them. Is your mouth watering yet??

Here's what you need:

Melting Candy

Small Balloons

Wax Paper

Technique:

Blow up balloons to fit into the size of bowl you want.

Put melting candy in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 1 minute. Stir. Continue to microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring in between each interval until melted.

Dip balloon into chocolate. Tilt the balloon to get the chocolate to the depth that you want your bowl. Set balloons on wax paper and allow to harden. Be sure to stir the chocolate after melting, before dipping the balloon (so the hot chocolate doesn't make the balloon burst! (What you don't see is the chocolate that splattered all across the kitchen - floor, wall, counter!) See the orange balloon still in the one on the right? The balloon on the left is completely covered.

And here's what happens when you have extra chocolate. (I said I would make chocolate treats, I never said I wouldn't play with it.)

To get them to set faster. set them on a tray and put them in the fridge. 

After the chocolate is completely set, pop the balloons and peel them out of the chocolate shell.

Every bowl will be different...that's part of the coolness of them.

Some of the balloons peeled out very easily, some of them didn't (I had to use my fingernail to scrape and help it along.) Be sure to hold the bowl very gently while peeling the balloon; the chocolate is still somewhat soft and will crush in your hand. Some of the bowls may have a "hole" in the bottom from where the balloon touched. Just put a dollop of chocolate on top of it. It will be covered up with ice cream.

You can set the bowls out with the toppings, or you might find it easier to set the chocolate bowls on a small plate or in a bowl and scoop the ice cream or frozen yogurt into them. That makes it easier for people to pick one up as they walk down your toppings bar or they can be passed out at the table and the toppings passed around the table.


Update: Every time I serve these bowls I plan to get pictures of peoples creations as they make them. But it never fails...they dive into eating it so fast, it is literally impossible. I managed to get these two pics as he was lifting it to eat it...lol!!

For more recipes and fun holiday ideas Click Here and Here.


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