Draughts is a great game, but here's how to make it even more fun.

This version is called Chocolate Chequers and the best thing about it is you can eat the chequers!
That's because they're really peppermint creams - absolutely delicious!

One set of pieces is covered in chocolate with a white chocolate button on the top...
...whilst the other set are left plain but have a milk chocolate button on top!
The board is made from an old pizza box, which has been given a chequered effect with weaved coloured paper.

And of course, you can keep the chequers inside the box (if there are any left!)
To make the peppermint creams, you'll need 200g of icing sugar, powdered egg white and some peppermint essence.
The first thing to do is mix water with the powdered egg white, equal to one egg.

When mixed, pop it into a bowl.
Add a few drops of peppermint essence...
...and then add the icing sugar, which should have been already sieved.

Add it a little at a time.
Give it a mix until it becomes a nice, stiff paste which looks like this.
Now, sprinkle some icing sugar onto the work surface, and tip out the paste from the mixing bowl.

The icing sugar will stop the paste from sticking to the work surface.

Roll it out until it's about half a centimetre thick.
When done, cut out the chequers using a cutter.
Pop them onto a piece of greaseproof paper.

When you've got enough, put them in a cool place to dry overnight - but not in the fridge!

Cover them with a clean tea towel.
The chequerboard is made from a medium sized pizza box.

You need a clean one - so why not ask nicely at your local pizza takeaway?
If you like, you could paint on the pattern, but it's much more fun to use woven paper.

You'll need 30cm x 3cm strips of paper, in two different colours.
Start by sticking one set of coloured strips all along one side of the box, so that they flap up, like this.
Then take a different coloured strip of paper and start weaving. Just go over and under each of the strips, like this.

Pull it through to the edge of the box.
Thread the next piece in the opposite way - under and over.

Keep going until you've covered the whole box.
Stick all the sides down and cut off any excess strips.

If you like, you can add a border to neaten up, too.
Now to decorate the chequers.

Melt a bar of chocolate by filling a big bowl a third of the way up with recently-boiled water. Into that add a smaller bowl with the chocolate inside, and leave to melt.

Give it a stir every so often to help it on the way.
When melted, you can start to dip the peppermint creams.
Pop a white chocolate button on top.
The other set of chequers are made by adding milk chocolate buttons on the top.

Just dab a little water onto the button with a pastry brush, and pop it on top.
That's it - all done!

Enjoy the game.

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