Anyone with a love for chocolate has at some point asked themselves how restaurants make those delicate chocolate decorations and garnishes for dessert. Well, we’re about to fill you in on an industry secret: they’re actually not that hard to make. Once you know how to temper chocolate, it’s pretty easy to bend that sweet stuff into whatever shape or form you desire. Whether it’s an impressive half-pipe or delicate feathers, these 5 chocolate tricks will make your desserts look like they were made at a 5-star restaurant!
1. Chocolate Half-Pipe
You’ll Need:
- 14 oz dark chocolate, tempered
- strip of parchment paper
- 2 forks
- rolling pin
Here’s How:
1.1 Pour the tempered chocolate into the center of a piece of parchment paper and use 2 forks to carefully pull it to the left and right.
1.2 Place the parchment paper on a rolling pin, let the chocolate set at room temperature, and then refrigerate it until it completely hardens.
1.3 Once the chocolate has hardened, turn the half-pipe so that the spikes are facing up, fix it in place on a plate with some melted chocolate, and carefully remove the parchment paper.
1.4 Decorate the chocolate half-pipe with whipped cream, berries, strawberry syrup, and mint leaves.
2. Chocolate Dome
You’ll Need:
- 14 oz white chocolate, tempered
- 14 oz dark chocolate, tempered
- 1 balloon
- 1 bowl
- 2 piping bags
- hot strawberry syrup
Here’s How:
2.1 Blow up the balloon and secure it on a bowl. Fill 2 piping bags with the different types of tempered chocolate and pipe fine stripes all over the balloon.
2.2 Let the chocolate set at room temperature before refrigerating it to let it harden completely. Afterwards, pop the balloon with a toothpick.
2.3 Remove the chocolate from the bowl with a hot knife to lift the dome.
2.4 Decorate a plate with ice cream, fruit, mint leaves, and cookie crumbs before placing the chocolate dome on top.
2.5 Pour hot strawberry syrup over the top and watch the dome collapse right before your very eyes!
3. Chocolate Splash
You’ll Need (for 6-8):
- 14 oz dark chocolate, tempered
- piping bag
- cupcake liners
Here’s How:
3.1 Pipe the tempered chocolate over the bottoms of the cupcake liners and let the chocolate run down the sides.
3.2 Let the chocolate set at room temperature and then refrigerate until the chocolate has completely hardened.
3.3 Garnish the muffins with chocolate syrup and fresh fruit. Carefully remove the hardened chocolate pieces from the cupcake liners, place one on top of each muffin like a crown, and fill with the fruit of your choice.
4. Chocolate Feather
You’ll Need:
- 14 oz white chocolate, tempered
- knife
- strip of parchment paper
- tall, round glass
Here’s How:
4.1 Dunk the tip of the knife into the tempered chocolate and put it on a strip of parchment paper.
4.2 Use the tip of the knife to create small furrows in the chocolate to make it look like a feather.
4.3 Place the parchment paper with the chocolate feathers into the tall glass and let the chocolate set at room temperature before refrigerating it to let it harden completely.
4.4 Carefully remove the chocolate feathers from the parchment paper and use them for decoration in a chocolate nest.
5. Chocolate Waves
You’ll Need (for 3):
- 14 oz dark chocolate, tempered
- 4 identical glasses
- 2 clothespins
- 3 strips of parchment paper
Here’s How:
5.1 Arrange the glasses as shown in the video and fix them in place with the clothespins so that they can’t roll away.
5.2 Spread a thin layer of tempered chocolate on a strip of parchment paper and carefully place it over the glasses.
5.3 Let the chocolate set at room temperature before refrigerating the glasses to let the chocolate harden completely.
5.4 Once it’s hardened, carefully remove the chocolate from the parchment paper.
5.5 Repeat until you have 3 beautiful chocolate waves, and layer them on a plate with whipped cream, fresh berries, and strawberry syrup. Drowning in a sea of chocolate!
Whether it’s a cake, muffin, or ice cream, these elegant chocolate decorations will enhance any dessert you choose to serve. But the best thing about them is definitely how yummy they are – nothing beats a bit of chocolate!