Pudding Cauldrons

by ImJevin

17K13529

Intro: Pudding Cauldrons

These little cauldrons are perfect for serving pudding out of to make the occasion a little more magic. These work well for Halloween or any other magical occasion (Harry Potter related things). And they are easy to make.

STEP 1: Supplies

-Chocolate or candy melts of your choice (For mine I used Wilton Midnight Black candy melts as they were closer to a cauldron's color than brown)
-Balloons
-Vanilla instant pudding mix
-Milk
-Green (or whatever color you want your potion to be) food coloring
-Pretzels
-Cookie sheet
-Wax paper or a silicon baking sheet

STEP 2: The Balloons

Blow up the balloons but not to full size. Make them just big enough that they are rounded. When the amount wanted it blown up, wash the balloons. No one wants rubbery desserts.

STEP 3: Melting and Dipping

For melting your chocolate or candy melts, you can either use the microwave or a double boiler. I used a double boiler. For this just put enough water is the bottom part to create a good amount of steam. Place a metal bowl or the top part of the double boiler on top and pour in the candy that you're melting. Keep a close eye on the temperature as you don't want to burn the candy but you also don't want it to be too thick or else it will be difficult to dip the balloons.

If you're melting it in the microwave, just keep zapping your bowl of candy until it has melted to a smooth consistency. Make sure you use a big enough bowl that you will be able to dip balloons in.

When the candy is melted just right, take a spoonful of it and place it on the cookie sheet with either the wax paper or silicon baking sheet; this will become the base of the cauldron so it stands on its own. Carefully dip the balloon in the candy, trying to cover the bottom half of it as evenly as you can. Place the dipped balloon on the chocolate you spooned onto the sheet. Keep doing these steps until all your balloons have been dipped.

CAUTION: Balloons may explode if they get too hot! This happened to me and black candy went everywhere.

Set them aside to set. If you want this to happen a little quicker, place the sheet in the fridge.

STEP 4: The Handles

To give these bowls that extra cauldron-y touch, they need little handles. Break the pretzels apart, leaving a half oval piece. Dip these broken pieces into the candy and place on the sides of the set candy bowls.

ANOTHER CAUTION: I would not suggest following my lead on using your bare fingers. The candy started to really burn after a while. Use gloves if they are available to you.

Allow the candied handles to set.

STEP 5: The Pudding

The simplest step: just follow the directions on the back of your instant pudding package. When the pudding is set, add the food coloring and mix: instant potion.

STEP 6: Putting It All Together

Carefully cut the tops off the balloons so the air will leak out instead of the balloon popping. Carefully peel the balloons out of the bowls; don't worry if the thin layer of chocolate at the top breaks off. This part may just take a little bit of patience.

When the balloon is all peeled away, just add a few big spoonfuls of pudding and you're set! Enjoy!

(My cauldrons aren't the best because of the twenty things I was trying to accomplish that day and weaving in and out of the activities. Surely with practice they will get better. I have high hopes for anyone who tries this though.)

30 Comments

bobski_horner 8 years ago

sorry forgot to give you a link on jello warnings.

bobski_horner 8 years ago

notice your using jello .this carries an unusual health warning in the EU ,some of its ingredients are banned in some parts of the world as well. Is there another alternative to this product>

jannie.lloyd 8 years ago

would Candy Melts be similar to the (cooking) chocolate drops that I used in UK?

Might try this with the Grand-kids. Sounds super.

BubblesGirl915 9 years ago

They look AWESOME! How'd you come up with this and what did you use them for?

Tiktaky 12 years ago

As as Aussie I have never heard of some of these products.
Candy-melts for example, Is it chocolate, or lollies? In Australia Candies are hard boiled lollies, but Candymelts look like chocolates XD

also, In the picture you have Jell-O, But you called it pudding, Pudding is a cake where I am from, And Jelly is cordial gelatin...Are you making vanilla junket?

Sorry for being a complete idiot, I'm new to international recipes.

ImJevin 12 years ago

Candy melts are basically chocolate, but not actually chocolate. I don't know how to describe it. They are used for candies because it is easy to dip things in and it hardens pretty quickly.

Jell-O is just a brand of the pudding. They got the name from their gelatin desserts. But pudding here is sort of like a custard.

It's totally cool, I would be totally lost too if I was in your boat. I didn't know what vanilla junket was for example, so I had to look it up.

I hope I helped!

Tiktaky 12 years ago

That makes sense, though in Australia Custard is running like cream, so I'm still a bit confused, But from other Jello-O recepies that I googled it seems like a mix between junket and Panna Cotta.
I think I'll just play it safe and buy my ingredients as imports. I've seen Candy-melts and American Pudding in lots of other recipes that I'm keen to try, So I think it's worth buying the correct products.

Thanks :)

jsadams03 12 years ago

It might really help if you use water balloons. I made some parafin wax molds using this method and they never poopped once with the water balloons. I think wax has to get a lot hotter to melt as well... The only problem with that may be they might roll away or the weight might warp the shape of the cauldron.

Algag 12 years ago

you spelled popped wrong :p tehe

Nelyan 13 years ago

I'd add this: use somekind of soft licorice or candy-strings/ribbons of your liking dipped in the melted candy/chocolate and hang them the same way like the pretzel-handles are "glued".
This will make the top edge a little more firmer from breaking apart.

Also, great idea! :)

Nelyan 13 years ago

Oh, and if you happen to like the idea of licorice, (or if you even happen to like licorice) this is what I would use (this is from Finland) http://www.verkkoapteekki.fi/images/snore_laku.jpg , there's also red version of this. The picture is to define what kind of candystring I meant. :)

panks 13 years ago

Brilliant!

Chloramphenicol 13 years ago

One thing you can do to make removing / deflating the balloons easier is to put a piece of scotch tape on them, up near where you tied them off. When you're ready to deflate, use a pin to poke a hole through the taped portion. The tape will keep the balloon from popping.

Awesome project, all in all. I think I'll have to try these next Halloween.

ImJevin 13 years ago

That does work very well. I didn't need to do that with these balloons though because I didn't make them very big so the rubber at the top was already very thick so they didn't pop.

And thank you very much.

Zarhail 13 years ago

It might be useful, to use normal ballons, but to fill them with a bit of water, to prevent them from bursting when heated in whatever dip one may be using, althjough this might be a little late.
It ballons are filled partly with water, it is even possible, to put them over an open flame, so this would probably work here too, especiallt considering that if the air is released slowly, one is probably able, to pry them out, before the water starts leaking out.
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