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Chocolate Curls

Hi Grandma, My mom made beautiful cakes, and she'd decorate them with adorable curls of chocolate. She showed me how to do it once, but I’ve forgotten. How do you make those chocolate curls my mom used to decorate her cakes? --Anna
Hi Anna Guess what? Those curls are quite easy to make if you have a swivel-type vegetable peeler: you just run the peeler along the edge of a block or thick bar of chocolate. But there are a couple of things to keep in mind when making them. 1. Use a somewhat thick bar of chocolate – one to two inches thick is ideal.  This makes it easy to run the peeler along the thick edge to make the curls. Experiment with using less and more pressure to create curls with different thicknesses. 2. If the chocolate is too cold and brittle, the curls will easily break. To avoid this, place the chocolate in a warm place (90F to 95F) for a few minutes. You could also wave a hairdryer (set on low) over the bar a few times. If the chocolate becomes too soft, simply put it in the fridge for a couple of minutes. 3. Once you’ve created the curls, you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge. Use a toothpick or spoon to transfer the curls to the container and then later to the cake. If you use your fingers, their heat will soften the curls and they may become misshapen.  Here are some desserts that would be great with some curl decorations: Chocolate Truffle Mousse    Chocolate Bread Pudding  Chocolate Heavenly Hash  Chocolate Chiffon Cake  Dark Chocolate Cake  Milk Chocolate Cake  Fluffy Chocolate Pie  Chocolate Cheesecake Pie

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09/28/11
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