Chocolate Day of the Dead Decorations

A fellow art teacher in my school system is turning 50 and we are celebrating with a Day of the Dead themed get together.

I was asked to bring cupcakes. I decided to use the chocolate transfer method to make edible cupcake toppers that look like Day of the Dead skulls. I started with a large ziplock bag (any clear plastic seems to work, this is what I had on hand) and some quick sketches of skulls. I also had some candy sprinkles which I thought might be a fun added touch.

First, I used brown chocolate to make the outlines. I melted it in a small ziplock baggie that was placed in hot water. I then snipped a corner off the bag and piped the chocolate out to make my designs on the large plastic ziplock bag. It's just like drawing, start with the outlines.

I had some red chocolate left over from a different project, so I used it to fill in done of the designs. The finished "front" of the skull is actually the side that is pressed up against the plastic, so it doesn't matter if this part looks thick or goes a little on top of the lines.

Finally, I covered the entire space with melted white chocolate. I made this pretty thick since it will hold everything together.

Once everything had cooled, I carefully peeled the chocolates off the attic and turned them over to reveal the finished designs.

I used a little melted chocolate to attach a few sprinkles in place of eyeballs and flowers. Then I placed each one on a colorful cupcake and we were ready to celebrate!