Light My Fire Candy Matchbooks
by starshipminivan in Cooking > Candy
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Light My Fire Candy Matchbooks
These spicy candy sticks may seem small but they pack a lot of heat and flavor. This Instructable will teach you how to make the candy and the matchbook. The "matches" can be easily pulled from the matchbook. Personalize these containers with graphics, interesting paper, and your own message on the cover. You can even write notes on the matchsticks (or perhaps fortunes on the back).
Supplies
Candy (makes about 20):
Red Melting Candy Chocolate (2 oz)
1/4 teas cayenne pepper powder
1/4 teas chili powder
1/4 teas cinnamon
1/4 teas ground allspice
popsicle sticks (about 20)
waxed paper
styrofoam or drinking glasses (not pictured) - to keep the candy sticks upright after the second coat of chocolate
Covers:
waxed paper
masking tape (3/4" - 1" wide) - I used blue tape for better photographing but regular white tape works fine.
cardstock -- 81/2" X 11" sheets (2)*
butter knife or other dull edge to score but not cut through the cardstock
ruler
scissors
stapler
glue stick
The decorative cardstock I bought at a craft store was 8 1/2" X 11 1/4." Trim yours down if that dimensions aren't correct.
Red Melting Candy Chocolate (2 oz)
1/4 teas cayenne pepper powder
1/4 teas chili powder
1/4 teas cinnamon
1/4 teas ground allspice
popsicle sticks (about 20)
waxed paper
styrofoam or drinking glasses (not pictured) - to keep the candy sticks upright after the second coat of chocolate
Covers:
waxed paper
masking tape (3/4" - 1" wide) - I used blue tape for better photographing but regular white tape works fine.
cardstock -- 81/2" X 11" sheets (2)*
butter knife or other dull edge to score but not cut through the cardstock
ruler
scissors
stapler
glue stick
The decorative cardstock I bought at a craft store was 8 1/2" X 11 1/4." Trim yours down if that dimensions aren't correct.
Prepare the Matchbook
Using a ruler, mark lines 3/4" from one short edge, 6" from the first line, and 3/8" from the second line. See illustration.
Use the back edge of the butter knife to score these three lines. Fold along the scored lines. Mark and cut this piece of cardstock in half along the long side to create two 4 1/4" X 11" pieces. Repeat this process on the second sheet of cardstock.
Cut 4 pieces of waxed paper 9 3/4" X 4"
Lay the waxed paper over the inside of the matchbook with one edge along the 3/4" fold and center it horizontally. Place a dab of glue on the inside of each corner of waxed paper and press against the cardstock. This temporarily secures it.
Use the back edge of the butter knife to score these three lines. Fold along the scored lines. Mark and cut this piece of cardstock in half along the long side to create two 4 1/4" X 11" pieces. Repeat this process on the second sheet of cardstock.
Cut 4 pieces of waxed paper 9 3/4" X 4"
Lay the waxed paper over the inside of the matchbook with one edge along the 3/4" fold and center it horizontally. Place a dab of glue on the inside of each corner of waxed paper and press against the cardstock. This temporarily secures it.
Make the Matches, Part 1
Place a piece of waxed paper on a flat surface.
Melt 2 oz. of red chocolate in a shallow microwave safe bowl. This takes about 30-40 seconds. Stir your chocolate. Add the cayenne pepper, chili powder, cinnamon, and allspice and stir.
Dip each popsicle stick into the red chocolate and coat about 1/2" of the end with the stick, making sure you cover both sides. Set this on the waxed paper to cool. Make 20 of them. They will have very flat backs with distinct edges. Because of this, and because these need a more substantial amount of candy on them, they are going to get dipped again.
Melt 2 oz. of red chocolate in a shallow microwave safe bowl. This takes about 30-40 seconds. Stir your chocolate. Add the cayenne pepper, chili powder, cinnamon, and allspice and stir.
Dip each popsicle stick into the red chocolate and coat about 1/2" of the end with the stick, making sure you cover both sides. Set this on the waxed paper to cool. Make 20 of them. They will have very flat backs with distinct edges. Because of this, and because these need a more substantial amount of candy on them, they are going to get dipped again.
Make the Matches, Part 2
When they are all set-up, heat your leftover chocolate again for about another 20 seconds in the microwave to make it nice and loose. Stir the chocolate to make sure it is evenly warmed and fully melted.
Dip each candy coated end into the red chocolate again. Keep the chocolate on the front side smooth and swirl the back side around as you pull it away from the bowl. These candy sticks will need to cool upright to give a more realistic, rounded look to the candy. Do this by placing them in heavy glasses or pushing the sticks into a piece of styrofoam.
If you have little points or ridges on the backs of any of the candies, these can be taken off by heating a knife or other metal kitchen utensil in hot water, drying it and pressing the warm metal against the ridge to melt and flatten it.
Dip each candy coated end into the red chocolate again. Keep the chocolate on the front side smooth and swirl the back side around as you pull it away from the bowl. These candy sticks will need to cool upright to give a more realistic, rounded look to the candy. Do this by placing them in heavy glasses or pushing the sticks into a piece of styrofoam.
If you have little points or ridges on the backs of any of the candies, these can be taken off by heating a knife or other metal kitchen utensil in hot water, drying it and pressing the warm metal against the ridge to melt and flatten it.
Filling the Matchbook
Lay about a 5 inch strip of masking tape, sticky side up on a work surface. To hold it down you may need to secure the ends down with more masking tape.
Lay 5 sticks down on the tape, across half the width of the tape, as shown. Leave about 1/4" gaps between each of these.
To keep the sticks aligned, use the following procedure to apply tape over the top of the sticks:
Tear off another strip of tape, about 5". Lay it centered over the middle stick, aligning the top edges. Using a spare popsicle stick or dull utensil edge, press the tape against the tape on either side of the center stick. Then press the tape against each of the sticks on either side of the middle stick. Again, use a popsicle stick to secure the top tape against the bottom tape. Press the tape to the last two sticks. Now press the lower half of the tape down. It will have creases but these won't show.
Trim the edges of the tape leaving about 1/4" past the edges of the outer sticks.
Place this taped configuration into the 3/4" fold and center. Use a stapler to staple below and just inside the outer sticks. Then fold down your cover into the fold. These can be decorated any way you'd like.
FURTHER THOUGHTS:
These can be made from carefully sanded square dowels and placed in a sliding matchbox style box.
Lay 5 sticks down on the tape, across half the width of the tape, as shown. Leave about 1/4" gaps between each of these.
To keep the sticks aligned, use the following procedure to apply tape over the top of the sticks:
Tear off another strip of tape, about 5". Lay it centered over the middle stick, aligning the top edges. Using a spare popsicle stick or dull utensil edge, press the tape against the tape on either side of the center stick. Then press the tape against each of the sticks on either side of the middle stick. Again, use a popsicle stick to secure the top tape against the bottom tape. Press the tape to the last two sticks. Now press the lower half of the tape down. It will have creases but these won't show.
Trim the edges of the tape leaving about 1/4" past the edges of the outer sticks.
Place this taped configuration into the 3/4" fold and center. Use a stapler to staple below and just inside the outer sticks. Then fold down your cover into the fold. These can be decorated any way you'd like.
FURTHER THOUGHTS:
These can be made from carefully sanded square dowels and placed in a sliding matchbox style box.