Trash to Chocolate Mold

You may remember my Peppermint Patty Showdown from last month. On Christmas morning, I received a package of Waterbridge Mint Creams in my stocking. Well, when the package was empty, I couldn't help but think that the plastic tray the creams had come in would make an interesting candy bar. And so instead of tossing it into the recycling, I set it aside for an experiment. 

So what was interesting about the tray? It was a square tray that had held nine creams. Each circular well was embossed with a sort of geometric basket weave pattern. And the nine wells were connected by narrow channels. It made me think of modern décor, like bubble lamps or candles. 

I tempered a very small amount of chocolate (less than 100g) and initially was going to pour a solid bar. But then I remembered that I had dried blueberries in my cupboard that had been bought for a Christmas recipe that wasn't made. I tossed a tablespoon or so into the chocolate. This, naturally, triggered thoughts of the Cadbury Fruit & Nut bar that my nan loved, and I decided a little crunch would go a long way. I quickly chopped up a small handful of cashews and tossed those in as well. After mixing, I poured chocolate into the tray and tossed it into the fridge for a few minutes to set.

Now, I'm not going to lie. This makeshift chocolate mold fought me as I tried to release the bar. While it was easy enough to unmold the outer circles because the plastic was so flexible, the centre one was like it was vacuum sealed into place. But I persisted and eventually the bar popped out. 

Other than the recycling logo in the centre of the bar (which I knew would be visible before I started), I really like the look of this bar. And it is surprisingly easy to break off a piece for sharing (if you believe in sharing your chocolate, that is -- I personally think it's overrated). Molds with these sorts of fine details work better with a more fluid chocolate, so if I were to do something similar in the future, I would consider adding a little cocoa butter to improve the appearance. 

On flavour, however, I have no notes. Who knew that dried blueberries and cashews were so good together? A match made in heaven. So perfectly suited that they could have gotten married during Bad Bunny's Super Bowl Halftime Show. (Okay, that might be taking it a bit too far.) In terms of texture, the chew of the dried fruit and the gentle crunch of the nuts (cashews are a little softer than peanuts or almonds) enhances the sensory experience. 

Honestly, this combination is so good that it just might find its way into the 2026 Christmas assortment.

Minus the recycling symbol, of course.

 

Cookie Ornaments

For several years, I've been meaning to make cookie ornaments for my Christmas tree. I've had the best intentions (and we all know where that road leads). I even went so far as to buy the air dry clay and a set of Wilton's small Cookie cutters, but time got away from me and when I was finally ready to knead, roll, and cut, I discovered the air dry clay had become a rock solid brick. Another excuse to procrastinate. 

Three Christmases have passed without cookie ornaments for my tree.

So, yes, this blog post is a little off season. Am I spectacularly late for last Christmas or obnoxiously early for next? You can be the judge. But on my list of 2026 intentions was a set of cookie ornaments and as January comes to a close, I can happily report they are finished. 

I picked up a fresh package of terra cotta air dry clay and after all of last year's Christmas decorations had been put away, I found myself sitting in my office conditioning clay. Thinking I may want to use the cookie cutters for their original purpose in the future, I covered the rolled clay with a piece of plastic wrap so that the cutters wouldn't come into contact with the clay. I cut two of each shape and then a few extra for good measure. 

After letting them dry for a few days, I painted them with burnt sienna matte acrylic paint. Then I added the "royal icing" using dimensional paint. Unfortunately, the paint wasn't as puffy as I'd hoped -- it sort of collapsed as it dried. I decided to paint over it with glue and add glitter because glitter fixes everything. It also goes everywhere, so my final step was to spray them with a clear coat to limit future clean up. 

And voila! Little gingerbread cookies for my Christmas tree! 2026 Janice gets a gold star! ⭐