Students participating in Herndon's Safe Haven after school program received a special treat Feb. 3 — a chocolate treat.
Culinary educator Catherine Pressler visited the elementary school-aged students at the Safe Haven apartment in Parkridge Gardens to teach them how to make chocolate treats as early Valentine's Day presents for their parents. During the afternoon-long event, children learned how to roll out chocolate, fold it into half circles and place it on a square lid to resemble a bow. While some students worked at perfecting their bows to match Pressler's model, others dipped cooled chocolate balls into warm milk chocolate. After two dunks in the warm chocolate, the students then placed four chocolate balls — some orange and raspberry flavored — on a cookie sheet to cool before placing them in the box.
After scarfing s'mores and nibbling spare chocolates, the apartment looked like a chocolate storm had hit. By the time parents came for their children, the chocolate boxes had been gracefully wrapped and tied with red string, and some children were helping clean up.