Discover Chocolate: Chocolate Bowls

I was recently asked to do a demonstration with local artist Mary Scrimgeour , and the chosen pieces were my chocolate bowls. I learned early on that these bowls were very easy to make and could be made with a variety of looks. Anyone can make these bowls, and with a little practice you too will be a chocolate artist!

I always use high quality chocolate whenever I am molding with chocolate. This keeps frustrations at bay and brings enjoyment to the project. I also use a Choco-Vision Tempering unit so I can focus on what I'm creating, not how to make the medium. To begin I temper enough chocolate for the number of bowls I am planning on making. I do short runs so I am not needing more that 2 pounds of chocolate at a time. For this demonstration I tempered about 3/4 of a pound of white chocolate and had left over tempered milk chocolate from a previous bowl making session.

Once the chocolate is tempered, as indicated by the green light on the tempering unit, stop the machine and remove the baffle. Spread the chocolate evenly in the bowl. With a pastry bag you will put a simple design on the surface of the chocolate. Here I have just made simple circles.

With a bamboo skewer or any other similar utensil, draw through the circles to stretch the edges. Drawing it from the center to the outer edges and then from the outer edges to the center makes for a very nice design.

After this just dip the bottom of the balloon into the chocolate. To add a bit of interest to the design you can slightly twist the balloon.

After dipping the balloon gently set it on a pan or cookie sheet that is covered with parchment paper. The chocolate needs to just barely touch the paper. If you press the balloon down on the paper you may have a hole in the bottom of the bowl.

Move the balloon to the refidgerator to set up. This will take about 15 to 20 minutes depending on the tempurature in the air and the refridgerator. If you are unsure, just give a bit of extra time to be safe. Once the chocolate is set it can be removed from the refridgerator to a counter. The next step is the most fun. Hold the top of the balloon with one hand and with the other make a small cut at the very top of the balloon.