Have some fun with your children this Halloween with some spooky fun chocolate ideas.

It's all about the little ones for Halloween.

It's these times of the year that give us a lovely excuse to switch off, connect and have some fun with our children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews, or any little ones you have around you.

My inner child work over the years, still runs through my chocolate work, and my work with children and young people, through my chocolate therapy programs.

If you have followed me for a while, you would have seen my social media posts, articles and read my blog post's around connecting to your inner child through playfulness and creativity.

So yes, Halloween is one of those times to have some fun, with chocolate of course! So, this year I thought it would be nice to offer some fun creative chocolate ideas that you can do with your little ones, whoever they are and no matter how old they are.

These fun chocolate Halloween ideas are about having fun, so perfection, neatness and accuracy are not part of this chocolatey messiness. Enjoy!

CHOCOLATE DIPPED PRETZELS!

If you haven't noticed before a pretzel looks like a scary monster face!! Dipped in chocolate they can create a fun, yummy chocolate monster treat.

1. Get yourself some full-sized pretzels.

2. Lay down some grease proof paper

3. Melt some chocolate chips. Or any favourite chocolate of your choice.

4. Melt your chocolate in a microwave at 30 second intervals in a microwavable dish, until the chocolate has melted to a nice runny consistency. If you don't have a microwave, then a ban-marie can also be used. warming your chocolate in a heat proof bowl over some warming water on the hob. Just be careful if you do have little ones running around.

5. Get dipping. Have fun and get messy!

6. Place your chocolate dipped pretzels on some grease proof paper and pop them in the fridge until set. (That's if you can resist and wait that long!)

CHOCOLATE DIPPED MARSHMALLOW LOLLIPOPS!!

Chocolate and marshmallows are the best chocolate treat! Decorated with a spooky chocolate face and some fun sprinkles is another fun yummy chocolate treat to try.

1. Get yourself a bag or two! of large marshmallows and some fun Halloween themed sprinkles. (You will be able to find lots of sprinkles online or in your local supermarket.)

2. Lay down some grease proof paper

3. Melt some chocolate chips. Or any favourite chocolate of your choice. Try and get some different coloured chocolate for using when decorating the face.

4. Melt in microwave – 30 second intervals in a microwavable dish, until the chocolate has melted to a nice runny consistency. If you don't have a microwave, then a ban-marie can also be used. warming your chocolate in a heat proof bowl over some warming water on the hob. Just be careful if you do have little ones running around.
If you are using lollipop sticks (No worries if you can't get hold of any, as they still work perfectly fine without) pierce a whole with your lollipop stick through the middle of your marshmallow.

5. Get dipping either by holding the end of the lollipop stick or just dip with your hands if you want to get messy! And place your dipped marshmallows on some grease proof paper and pop in the fridge till set. (I dare you not to eat them before they are set!)

6. Once set – Start to decorate. Melt your chocolate –Preferably a darker or different coloured chocolate to the one you used to dip your marshmallow in (You may be using a smaller amount of chocolate to paint the face so you won't need to melt for too long, so put in a smaller microwavable dish for around 10 second intervals until melted) and pour into a small piping bag (again all very easily available on line) and make a fun spooky face. If you can't manage to get any piping bags, then just use the end of a lollipop stick to make your face. Or if you are not using lollipop sticks you can use the end of a small spoon. Anything goes really, the most important things is having fun!!

7. Using any of the chocolate you have melted, dap a little on the top or your marshmallow and then sprinkle as many or as few as you fancy.

 FUN MARSHMALLOW MUMMIES!

These may take just a little bit more time and a little bit of patience, but they really do look great when finished. But again, the most important thing is about having some chocolaty messy fun. These are made using just two types of chocolate milk and white.

1. You will need 3 large marshmallows for each mummy lollipop sticks and chocolate of your choice milk and white.

2. Lay some grease proof paper down.

3. Take your marshmallows and pierce a hole with each marshmallow onto your lollipop stick, kind of like a skewer.
Depending on what one you are doing first either melt the white or milk chocolate in a microwavable dish at 30 second intervals' until it is a nice runny consistency.  If you don't have a microwave, then a ban-marie can also be used. warming your chocolate in a heat proof bowl over some warming water on the hob. Just be careful if you do have little ones running around.

4. Get dipping – Dip and cover the whole of your marshmallow skewers. Set aside on your grease proof paper and pop them in the fridge to set.

5. Once set, melt some milk chocolate and dot some eyes on your mummies, (if you are only using a small amount of chocolate remember to melt at 10 second intervals.) Whilst your googly eyes are setting, melt your white chocolate, again in a microwavable dish at 30 second intervals or using your ban-marie method, until your chocolate is a nice runny consistency and swirl thin layers of chocolate around you're mummies, with either a piping bag or spoon, keeping the part around the eyes, so they are peeping through and pop them in the fridge to set.

Happy Halloween!