Chocolate Curls and Chocolate Leaves

I love chocolate and so are most people. Nobody can resist the temptation of having chocolate. It's the good sin to commit. Rosie Shaw of Cook-it-all cooking and free recipe website has this tips for working with chocolate:

• Do not substitute cocoa for chocolate if a recipe demands you to use chocolate.


• Do not melt chocolate directly over heat as it burns very quickly. Break the chocolate up and place the pieces in a small bowl, or on a plate, set over a pan filled with gently simmering water so that the chocolate does not get too hot. Leave it to melt without stirring. Use as directed in the recipes.


• To cool any chocolate decorations that you are making, avoid putting it in the freezer as the chocolate is likely to ‘sweat’. It is better to cool it in the fridge or outside

Here are the techniques for making Simple Chocolate Curls and Chocolate Leaves

Chocolate Curls

1. To make simple curls, the chocolate should be at room temperature. Shave off long silvers using a vegetable peeler or a knife.


2. For a more professional look, melt the chocolate in a bowl set over simmering water.


3. Let it cool for one minute. Then pour it on to a slightly oiled work top and spread it out thinly with a spatula to 3mm.


4. Leave to cool and when it is on the point of setting, hold a long sharp knife upright, with a hand at either end, and pull it towards you with a gentle sawing action.


5. Let the curls on a baking sheet to harden.


6. Store between sheets of grease-proof paper in an air-tight tin.

Chocolate Leaves

1. You can use small leaves of any shape that you desire to make chocolate leaves.


2. Wash the leaves and dry them.


3. In a bowl of steaming, NOT boiling water, melt the chocolate.


4. Coat one side of the leave either by using a brush or by dragging each leaf over the chocolate.


5. Place on a plate to cool, in the refrigerator if you like, with the coated side up.


6. After an interval of 10-15 minutes, coat the leaves once or twice more with chocolate, allowing it to cool each time.


7. Multiple layers of chocolate make the leaves harder and easier to work with.


8. After the chocolate is hard again, gently peel off the leaf, starting from the stem end of it.


9. There you will have lovely chocolate leaves, complete with veins.


10. Use it to decorate the cake in any way you please.

FudPro: Loves chocolate