Let Me Save You $25

If you ever find yourself asking why you are paying to do something, don't do it.  I wish I had taken this advice.  Today, I paid $25 to sit in a class with two of my best friends to make chocolate Easter baskets.  While I enjoyed laughing with my friends, when we left, we were all asking why we had to pay for the class.  The instructor provided absolutely no materials save from handing out a plastic cutting board to roll chocolate on.  She provided no great expertise other than to say make your strands this length.  When problems arose, she said this or that could be the problem, but she offered no solution.  Donna left without a finished product. I left with a basket that looks like small child created it at daycamp.  Patsy, of course, created a beautiful basket that looks exactly like the brochure said it would look.  Let me save you $25.
Here is exactly how to make a chocolate Easter basket.  I found the instructions online for FREE @ http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/White-Chocolate-Easter-Basket. If you run into an issue, I'll be glad to offer advice.  I hope you create a basket that matches Patsy's...

Steps one and two are done together because you are creating the base.  We did this part Tuesday night at Patsy's house.

Step One is to create your basket base.  This is really simple.  You will need a 6 inch pan according to the class I took, but the website says you can also use a 1 1/2 quart bowl to create your base.  Regardless of which you use, you simply melt 20 oz of candy coating, mix in 2/3 cup of corn syrup over low heat and pour it in to create the base.

Step Two must be done quickly so the base doesn't completely set up before you do it. Using the same melted candy coating that you will pour as your base, coat 13 three inch pretzel sticks or 13 sucker sticks to serve as supports for the basket sides. Let them cool and then, insert them around the edges of the pan/bowl you poured your basket base mixture into. Stick in the freezer for about 30 minutes until it is firm. When you remove it, your base should look like the picture above. Mine staretd off beautiful and smooth. I had such high hopes....

Step Three was also done at home and is fairly simple. Using the same chocolate clay mixture of melted chocolate and corn syrup, you will create eight 1 inch balls of clay.  I used different colors for my basket; Patsy used green and Donna chose yellow.  Get creative!

 Step Four is to simply roll out the balls of chocolate clay into 1/4 inch ropes.  

Step Five involves weaving the ropes through the support sticks.

Alternate directions every time your begin a new rope.

 Continue to layer until you reach the top.  Leave a little room for the top braided rope.

Braid two (according to the instructor) or three (website) ropes of clay together to create a finished braid. Add to top of basket around all support sticks. The website says to add a small dot of melted clay on each stick to act as a glue. Great idea...

 Voila!  You have a finished basket....  Patsy's is the beautiful green one... while this is mine...  Donna's went home to try again another day since our instructor was of no assistance at all.  The website even explains how to do a handle because all baskets need a handle but we didn't have that option in our money-wasting class. I hope you will give this a try. I think it is a really wonderful idea.  I'm am not sure though why I paid money to someone who did nothing and provided no supplies or help.  You do not have to though!  Go have fun with it!