Do It Yourself Chocolate Sculpture Recipes

MODELING CHOCOLATE RECIPE

Steps:

• Melt chocolate or confectionery coating. (Click here for instructions.)
• Allow the chocolate to cool to about 91 degrees Fahrenheit, stirring often.
• Pour in the corn syrup.
• Stir slowly until well incorporated. The mixture will become thick very quickly, so scrape the bottom of the bowl to incorporate all of the melted chocolate.
• Place the modeling chocolate in a zip-top bag and set aside to cool at room temperature for a few hours.
• OR pour the modeling chocolate out onto a countertop, preferably marble or granite. Spread it out then scrape it up. Repeat. Continue to do this until it thickens.
• Knead until glossy and smooth. If your hands are warm use a plastic dough scraper to knead the modeling chocolate.
• Add more corn syrup, if needed, until the candy clay is nice and pliable.
• Wrap the modeling chocolate in plastic wrap and place in a zip-top bag or airtight container.
• Allow to dry for at least 30 minutes before using.

WAGASHI CHOCOLATE SCULPTURE

Steps:

• Form a piece of acetate that is 18 by 24 inches into a cone. Use the width (18 inches) of the piece of acetate to be the length of the finished cone. While rolling hold the tip so that it is as tight as you can make it. Tape the cone closed where necessary. With scissors trim the open end of the cone so that it is flat. Place the cone in a vase or some tall container that allows it to stand upright. Use a ladle to fill the cone with the tempered chocolate. Empty the cone of excess chocolate by flipping it over the bowl of tempered chocolate. Set on a baking sheet fitted with a baking rack so the chocolate can continue to drain. When the chocolate has drained, place the cone in the refrigerator or let cool at cool room temperature until set. Repeat this process 1 more time in order to achieve thick, more stable chocolate cone walls.
• Pour tempered chocolate onto a sheet of acetate that is on your work surface. Spread the chocolate so it is a minimum of 1/4-inch thick. Allow it to set slightly. When the chocolate has begun to set but is not yet hard, cut a round base on which to "glue" the cone. The size of the round base will be determined by how tightly you wrapped your cone. The tighter the cone is wrapped the smaller the diameter of the cone's bottom. You can measure the diameter of your cone and add 4 inches, which should leave you with a base that will have a wide rim around your cone. Next, cut the concentric rings that will fit on the cone. I used cake rings, cookie cutters and piping tips to make the concentric circles and the inside cut-outs. Again, the size of concentric rings is determined by the cone that you made. Make at least 3 concentric rings and remember, the larger rings will have to have the larger cut-outs so they can slide towards the base of your cone. You may need to repeat this procedure to make additional circles.
• Unwrap the cone from the acetate. Use tempered chocolate to adhere the cone to the base, placing it in the center of the circle. Slide the concentric rings onto the cone. Arrange the Wagashi pastry on the circles.
• ;
• 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.

MOLDED ICE SCULPTURE

Steps:

• Making an ice sculpture is very easy if you use this method. The molds I used are decorative and easy to unmold because they are flexible. All you are doing in this recipe is freezing water.
• Select flexible silicone molds to create the sculpture base and cake stand. I used 3 molds. For the sculpture base, I used a small sunflower and centered it in the mold (place flowers upside down). When the flower is in place, fill the mold 1/3 full with water. Place the mold in the freezer. If all of the water is added at this time, the flower will float to the top. When the water has frozen, remove the mold from the freezer and add more water so the mold is 2/3's full. Return the mold to the freezer. The mold must be filled in stages to keep the previously frozen ice from floating to the top of the mold. When the additional water is frozen, remove from the freezer, fill the mold with water and return to the freezer. Repeat these steps using the other molds and use any flowers or fresh leaves to decorate your sculpture.
• Apply the same technique to plastic water bottle that has been cut to size. This can be the column that supports the other ice bases.
• When all of the pieces have been frozen, use a box grater or a wood plainer to flatten the surface of the mold. It is especially important to flatten the spot where 2 pieces are joined together. Sprinkle a little of the ice shaving on the spot. Wet with a little water and immediately "glue" 2 pieces together. Put the whole sculpture back in the freezer until ready to use.
• When the entire mold is frozen, it is ready to be displayed.

TEMPERED CHOCOLATE (FOR USE IN MOLDING AND SCULPTING)

Steps:

• Chocolate melts best at temperatures between 104 and 113 degrees F (40 degrees C and 45 degrees C). Never melt chocolate directly over a heat source. Use an indirect source like a hot water bath.
• Tempering determines the final gloss, hardness, and contraction of the chocolate. When you melt chocolate, the molecules of fat separate. To put them back together, you temper it. There are a variety of ways to do it. One of the easiest ways is to place it in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time on high power until the chocolate is melted. Be very careful not to overheat it. The chocolate will not look as if it has melted because it retains its shape. It should be only slightly warmer than your bottom lip. You may still see lumps in it, but don't worry; the residual heat of the chocolate will melt them. You can also use an immersion blender to break the lumps and start the recrystallization process.
• Usually, the chocolate begins to set (recrystallize) along the side of the bowl. As it begins to crystallize, mix those crystals into the melted chocolate and they will begin recrystallization process. I like to use a glass bowl because it retains the heat and keeps the chocolate tempered for a long time.
• Another way to temper chocolate is called seeding. In this method, tempering is achieved by adding 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 one fourth of the total amount. I usually use an immersion blender to mix the two together.
• The classic way to temper chocolate is called tabliering. Chocolate is melted over hot water bath to a temperature between 88 degrees F and 90 degrees F (31 degrees C and 32 degrees C). (White and milk chocolate are melted to a temperature approximately 2 degrees F less, depending on the amount of milk fat they contain.) Two thirds of the melted chocolate is poured on a cold table marble surface. The chocolate is spread out and worked with a spatula until the temperature of the chocolate is approximately 81 degrees F (27 degrees C). At this stage, it is thick and begins to set. This tempered chocolate is then added to the remaining one third of nontempered chocolate and mixed thoroughly until the mass in the bowl has a completely uniform temperature. If the temperature is still too high, part of the chocolate is further worked on the cold table 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 to check 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 tempered correctly, it will harden evenly and show a good gloss within 5 minutes.
• Storing Chocolate:
• Chocolate is susceptible to moisture and absorbs external odors. It is also important to protect it from light and air. Store it in a cool, dry place in closed packaging. The ideal temperature for storing chocolate is between 54 degrees F and 68 degrees F, (12 C and 20C). Do not store chocolate in the refrigerator, where the humidity (moisture) will affect it.

SCULPTING CHOCOLATE

Steps:

• Melt the chocolate in a microwave for 1 minute.
• Stir until smooth.
• No microwave?
• Place the chocolate in the top of a double broiler over hot water and stir until melted.
• Add the corn syrup and blend.
• Pour the mixture onto a sheet of waxed paper.
• Spread the chocolate with your fingers until it's about 1/2 inch thick.
• Cover loosely with waxed paper and let it stiffen for at least a couple hours or overnight.
• The chocolate will become very pliable and you can start sculpting!