Chocolate Decorations Recipes

HOW TO DECORATE WITH MELTED CHOCOLATE

Steps:

• Chop the chocolate into small, even pieces. If using a microwave to melt the chocolate, place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl and microwave on 50% power in 15-second bursts, stirring after each burst to make sure the chocolate doesn't burn, until melted and smooth. The exact timing will vary depending on the amount of chocolate and the wattage of your microwave but will probably take around 1 1/2 minutes. (You want to be certain that the bowl and implement you use to stir the chocolate are completely dry. The introduction of any water into the chocolate will cause it to seize and not melt properly.) If using a pan on the stovetop to melt the chocolate, place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl placed over but not touching a pan of simmering water and wait, stirring occasionally to make sure the chocolate doesn't burn, until the chocolate is melted and smooth. (You want to be certain that the bowl and implement you use to stir the chocolate are completely dry and that no steam or water from the pan comes into contact with the chocolate. The introduction of any water into the chocolate will cause it to seize and not melt properly.) Remove the pan from the heat.
• Cover a plate or baking sheet with wax paper or parchment paper. If making chocolate squiggles or shapes, use a teaspoon and drizzle the chocolate into squiggles or shapes on the paper. If making chocolate letters, pour the melted chocolate into a plastic squeeze bottle or a disposable piping bag (available in most shops in the cake baking sections) or a large resealable plastic bag or a cone that you formed from parchment paper. If using a plastic bag, just snip the end off close to the tip for thin lettering or a little further up for thicker lettering. (Keep in mind that thicker letters are less likely to break once cooled.) Then simply write, er, pipe your letters or words or numbers as desired, gently squeezing the bag from the top toward the tip as you write to keep a slow but continual flow of melted chocolate coming through the tip.☞TESTER TIP: If you make a mistake and one of your letters looks wonky or is uneven, just eat it and try again. If you don't trust your penmanship, before melting the chocolate, print out your words or designs at the desired size and tape the printout onto your work surface beneath the sheet of parchment paper and trace over the lines with chocolate.
• Transfer everything to the refrigerator until the chocolate hardens, 10 to 20 minutes.
• If using a microwave to melt the chocolate, place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl and microwave on 50% power in 15-second bursts, stirring after each burst to make sure the chocolate doesn't burn, until melted and smooth. The exact timing will vary depending on the amount of chocolate and the wattage of your microwave but will probably take around 1 1/2 minutes. (You want to be certain that the bowl and implement you use to stir the chocolate are completely dry. The introduction of any water into the chocolate will cause it to seize and not melt properly.)If using a pan on the stovetop to melt the chocolate, place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl placed over but not touching a pan of simmering water and wait, stirring occasionally to make sure the chocolate doesn't burn, until the chocolate is melted and smooth. (You want to be certain that the bowl and implement you use to stir the chocolate are completely dry and that no steam or water from the pan comes into contact with the chocolate. The introduction of any water into the chocolate will cause it to seize and not melt properly.) Remove the pan from the heat.

CHOCOLATE DECORATIONS

Steps:

• Use a sheet of textured acetate approximately 11 by 14 inches, purchased from a home improvement center or an art supply store. Place it on a flat work surface in front of you. Pour some tempered white chocolate onto the plastic and spread with an offset spatula to create a layer that is about 1/8-inch thick. You can gently shake the plastic to help the chocolate become smooth. Use a sharp chef's knife to cut the chocolate when it begins to set but before it hardens into 1-inch squares. When the chocolate has set completely, arrange the squares so you can easily print on them with the rubber stamps.
• To print with the rubber stamps: Place a clean dishtowel on a baking sheet and set aside. Place about 1/4 teaspoon powdered food color in small glass bowl. Pour some of the melted cocoa butter into each bowl of color. Mix with a paint brush, you can add more powdered food color if you want a stronger color. You can do as many colors as you want by using separate bowls and dividing the melted cocoa butter between the different colors. Paint some of the colored melted cocoa butter onto the towel. The towel will serve as a blotter. Press the rubber stamp into the color and then delicately onto the chocolate square. The design of the rubber stamp will transfer onto the chocolate. If the colored cocoa butter on the 'blotter' sets and/or becomes to hard, simply heat it with a hair dryer or a heat gun. The chocolate squares are ready to serve.
• How to Temper Chocolate: From Dessert Circus, Extraordinary Desserts You Can Make At Home by Jacques Torres Chocolate is tempered so that after it has been melted, it retains its gloss and hardens again without becoming chalky and white (that happens when the molecules of fat separate and form on top of the chocolate). There are a variety of ways to temper. One of the easiest ways to temper chocolate is to chop it into small pieces and then place it in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time on high power until most of the chocolate is melted. Be very careful not to overheat it. (The temperature of dark chocolate should be between 88 and 90 degrees F, slightly warmer than your bottom lip. It will retain its shape even when mostly melted. White and milk chocolates melt at a temperature approximately 2 degrees F less because of the amount of lactose they contain.) Any remaining lumps will melt in the chocolate's residual heat. Use an immersion blender or whisk to break up the lumps. Usually, chocolate begins to set, or crystallize, along the side of the bowl. As it sets, mix those crystals into the melted chocolate to temper it. A glass bowl retains heat well and keeps the chocolate tempered longer.
• Another way to temper chocolate is called seeding. In this method, add small pieces of unmelted chocolate to melted chocolate. The amount of unmelted chocolate to be added depends on the temperature of the melted chocolate, but is usually 1/4 of the total amount. It is easiest to use an immersion blender for this, or a whisk.
• The classic way to temper chocolate is called tabliering. Two thirds of the melted chocolate is poured onto a marble or another cold work surface. The chocolate is spread out and worked with a spatula until its temperature is approximately 81 degrees F. At this stage, it is thick and begins to set. This tempered chocolate is then added to the remaining non-tempered chocolate and mixed thoroughly until the mass has a completely uniform temperature. If the temperature is still too high, part of the chocolate is worked further on the cold surface until the correct temperature is reached. This is a lot of work, requires a lot of room, and makes a big mess.
• A simple method of checking tempering, is to apply a small quantity of chocolate to a piece of paper or to the point of a knife. If the chocolate has been correctly tempered, it will harden evenly and show a good gloss within a few minutes.

EASY CHOCOLATE DECORATIONS

Steps:

• To temper the chocolate, bring a few inches of water to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Fill a large bowl with cold water and add a few ice cubes; set aside. Combine three-fourths of the chocolate and all of the shortening in a medium heatproof bowl and set it over the saucepan, making sure the bowl doesn't touch the water.
• Turn off the heat under the double boiler. Let the chocolate sit over the hot water and melt, stirring it occasionally, until it reaches 100 degrees F. Transfer the bowl to the prepared bowl of cold water; stir in the remaining chocolate until melted and the chocolate drops to 82 degrees F. Place the medium bowl back over the simmering water until the chocolate reaches 90 degrees F. Remove from the heat.
• Lay the chocolate transfer sheets on a cool work surface with the design-side facing up (plastic-side facing down). Spread the chocolate into a thin and smooth layer on the chocolate transfer sheets with a small offset spatula. Set aside at room temperature until the chocolate is just set (the chocolate shouldn't stick to your fingers when touched), 10 to 15 minutes.
• Stamp shapes-without removing them yet-in the chocolate with an assortment of 1 1/2- to 2-inch cookie cutters, firmly pressing through the chocolate but not through the plastic. Place up to 2 sheets on the back of a baking sheet and freeze until firm, about 10 minutes.
• Place the transfer sheets chocolate-side down on a cool work surface. Peel off the plastic backing to reveal the pattern on the chocolate. Gently remove the chocolate shapes you stamped, then decorate the cupcakes with the shapes, as desired. Alternatively, wrap the chocolate decorations in plastic and freeze until ready to use.

CHOCOLATE DECORATING IDEAS

Steps:

• There are a lot of little tricks to handling chocolate. I like to work on a marble surface because the marble is generally cold, which helps the chocolate set. I also keep my chocolate in a glass bowl, which retains heat well and holds the temper longer. One of the most useful things you can use when working with chocolate is acetate (plastic from the florist). It can be found in most art shops.
• To make dark and white chocolate cigarettes: Use a cake comb to create alternating stripes of white and dark chocolate. You can buy one at most cake decorating supply stores. Spread some white chocolate on a sheet of acetate in a very thin layer, about 1/16-inch. Draw the comb through the chocolate to create alternating lines. Return the excess chocolate to the bowl. When the chocolate stripes are firm but not hard, use an offset spatula to spread a 1/8-inch-thick layer of dark chocolate over the white chocolate. When the chocolate sets but is not firm, use a pastry triangle to create the cigarettes. Start about 11/2 inches from an edge and push the chocolate into a roll (it will form naturally). Apply even pressure.
• To make chocolate fans: Spread some dark chocolate directly onto the marble surface in a very thin layer, about 1/16-inch. Use the pastry triangle to create fans by pushing the triangle through the chocolate in an arc. Use your finger to hold down one side as you push the chocolate toward the other.