65 replies to this topic

[Lior]

For Passover I made frogs (a plague)with natural green cocoa butter, little puddles of a bloodied Nile (very silly looking-make the kids laugh...)with strawberry freeze dried powder and pyramids on a stick and a bowl which I plan to fill with chocolates for the hostess along with a few other gifts.

The bowl is ugly. It is my first time making bowls...

I would love any tips. How do I make the rim even all the way around-same height? I decorated with gold dust but I should have mixed it with white chocolate first. Please anyone who does these, advice!!

Mistakes (dumb ones):

1. Bowl one- I drew the design on the balloon before piping- bad news it transferred onto the chocolate!! I assumed permanent marker would not come off!

2. Names - I wrote as usual and obviously got the mirror effect (how dumb of me!!!!!)

3. Bowl 3 is the best but still ugly-ish!

Frogs:



More:



Wavy Nile blood puddles:




The Ugliest bowl with marker:



Bowl with mirror writing



nicest but still a bit ugly!



Again, any tips??

Edited by Lior, 06 April 2009 - 10:53 PM.

[Darienne]

For Passover I made frogs (a plague)with natural green cocoa butter, little puddles of a bloodied Nile (very silly looking-make the kids laugh...)with strawberry freeze dried powder and pyramids on a stick and a bowl which I plan to fill with chocolates for the hostess along with a few other gifts.

The bowl is  ugly. It is my first time making bowls...

I would love any tips. How do I make the rim even all the way around-same height? I decorated with gold dust but I should have mixed it with white chocolate first. Please anyone who does these, advice!!

Mistakes (dumb ones):

1. Bowl one- I drew the design on the balloon before piping- bad news it transferred onto the chocolate!! I assumed permanent marker would not come off!

2. Names - I wrote as usual and obviously got the mirror effect (how dumb of me!!!!!)

3. Bowl 3 is the best but still ugly-ish!


Again, any tips??

No advice. Just an overwhelmed WOW! at all the beautiful things you make!!!

[John DePaula]

Hi Lior,

This might help: Demo: Molding bowls and containers with chocolate

[cmflick]

Maybe the bowl would work better if you used an actual bowl as a mold. I have used a plastic box as a mold for chocolate and had no problem with it. As stated in the demo make sure that you use something very shiny (so that the chocolate will shine) and with no scratches in it. My plastic box was not used for anything but as a chocolate mold and was polished well with cotton balls before use. I think that whatever you use as a mold should probably be fairly rigid. If the mold has flex to it, it will be too easy to crack your molded chocolate once it sets. One more suggestion: paint in some layers of chocolate to whatever you are using before doing the fill and dump molding. That way you'll get a thicker bowl.

The frogs are fantastic. Nice work!

[Lior]

Hi- thanks everyone! The demo was interesting! The nicepart about the balloon is that I can get a design on the bowl's inside!! I will get a nice container and try your method-cmflick-thanks!

[Lisa Shock]

You can even up the edges by heating up a sheet pan (not too hot) and placing the rim on the sheet pan and moving it a bit until it melts down to the size you need. It helps to have a large spatula around to move the bowl off the pan.

[Lior]

Fantastic idea!! I also though I should have drawn a line around the balloon totry to dip evenly-but with which writing utensil?!

[Darienne]

The demo is so wonderful. I am just itching to try this. Lovely swirls on the balloon bowls. Oh boy!!

[Lior]

Yes I am dying to try again and make prettier and more accurate ones!!!! My uglies will become beauties!! I also though of using the plastic container method and trying something similar to the pictures Lana posted a while back with DeBondt's gorgeous egg. So much to try and learn and perfect!!!

[rio marie]

Hey Lior,
Your frogs are so cute! I like the way you incorporate the colored cocoa butter.
I see you got some freeze dried strawberry powder. Where did you source if from?
I've been busy making Easter chocolate. I got a cookie cutter in the shape of a bunny's head and made some marshmallow. Then I cut out the bunnies using the cookie cutter. I applied and sucker stick to them and then I dipped them in chocolate. I'm getting a huge response from my clients. Unfortunalty I still don't have a decent camera to post pictures...

Rena

[Lior]

Sounds amazing!! Creative!!
Thanks about my frogs!! Igotthe fruit powder from Van Drunen Farms who give samples and even sent some to me through their agentin Croatia!!!. They were very nice and helpful. I gotvarious flavors andenjoy them.

[prairiegirl]

www.chocolatearts.com in vancouver makes the chocolate bowls. Go into the "gifts" I tooks some pictures and if I find them I will post as they may be better that what you see in the website.
If you don't like the appearance on the outside or inside you could airbrush with a dark chocolate/cocoa butter mixture. I have done that on my chocolate when blemishes appear.

Edited by prairiegirl, 09 April 2009 - 03:49 PM.

[Lior]

Thank you Prairie girl!! I need to see the bowl up close and the inside-but they look so perfect!! In my search I came across a video on this-just what I dreamed of!!! Incredible!! How is it done so accurately??
bowl

[mostlylana]

Oh my gosh - what an amazing video!! Thank you so much for sharing. I like what he said at the beginning: 'start simple and then evolve'...

But, of course, I want to do the most intricate RIGHT NOW! Does anyone have an idea of how he does the faded petal like design on the inside of the bowls? And isn't that sponge dipped in gold a wonderful idea. The gold lines he made on the outside of that bowl looked so classy.

He's right - the people in this business are so lucky!

[Kerry Beal]

I really want to figure out how do get that effect. There is another site where he discusses making the bowls, but I can't figure out if you mix the coloured cocoa butter into the white chocolate then dip the balloon, or colour the ballon then dip in the white chocolate.

Serious experimentation required here.

[Kerry Beal]

Here is how it is done. Look under decorating baskets. He must start with white chocolate, make circles of the colours, drag a toothpick through it, then dip the balloon in. Then he would finish off with dark chocolate.

[mostlylana]

I really want to figure out how do get that effect.  There is another site where he discusses making the bowls, but I can't figure out if you mix the coloured cocoa butter into the white chocolate then dip the balloon, or colour the ballon then dip in the white chocolate.

Serious experimentation required here.

I'm glad you're on board Kerry. Now I KNOW we'll get our answer!

[mostlylana]

HA! I knew you'd come up with something Kerry! Well done!!! What a great video - can't wait to try it. I think it will have to wait until after mother's day - I just have too many ideas in my head...

[Lior]

Isn't that something!! So simple and beautiful! Of course, it always looks so easy when done by masters!! But he must have a method for getting that nice rim you see on his site. I think he cuts it but how does it come out even? Maybe on a sheet like mentioned above. I will try again next week!!

[melamed]

Isn't that something!! So simple and beautiful! Of course, it always looks so easy when done by masters!! But he must have a method for getting that nice rim you see on his site. I think he cuts it but how does it come out even? Maybe on a sheet like mentioned above. I will try again next week!!

very clever chocolates!

Edited by melamed, 10 April 2009 - 11:38 PM.

[Kerry Beal]

Isn't that something!! So simple and beautiful! Of course, it always looks so easy when done by masters!! But he must have a method for getting that nice rim you see on his site. I think he cuts it but how does it come out even? Maybe on a sheet like mentioned above. I will try again next week!!

Yes, he has to cut it somehow. That is going to be the hardest part I suspect. I wonder if a hot wire might be the way to go. Keeping it level will be a problem.

Ideally when you are making chocolate boxes, little discs and stuff you want to make the cut while the chocolate is just going from tacky to firm - but here you are constrained by the two layers and the balloon.

Anyone out there a potter - how do you cut the top of a bowl that's just been thrown and get a nice level top?

[Lior]

I did cut mine in the pics above as you can maybe see. A very sharp knife ever so slightly warmed. The uneven-ness was the problem.

[Kerry Beal]

Yeah, there has to be a way to hold the cutting implement at a fixed height and rotate the bowl past it to get an even cut on the bowl. Perhaps putting the bowl stuck down on a cake turner - but how do you get the knife/wire at a fixed height. I can't cut freehand. I remember getting the crying elf stamp on my straight lines in kindergarden - and nothing has changed in the 47 odd years following!

Maybe a bit more online searching will yield the answer.

[Lior]

Is there a way people cut cakes in half accurately? To fill...

[John DePaula]

Can't you just spin the bowl's top edge on a warmed cookie sheet? I think that Lisa mentioned it up-thread.

Maybe modifying an old turntable with an LP sized metal platter would work.

Edited by John DePaula, 11 April 2009 - 08:29 AM.

[chocartist]

Can't you just spin the bowl's top edge on a warmed cookie sheet?  I think that Lisa mentioned it up-thread.

Maybe modifying an old turntable with an LP sized metal platter would work.

I have been molding bowls for many years and almost always include at least one in all of my classes and trade show presentations. I use metal mixing bowls or plastic serving bowls that I find in houseware sections and party shops.

1. Pour tempered chocolate into the bottom of the bowl, swirling it around to cover all but the rim, adding more chocolate if necessary.

2. Holding the bowl in a slightly inverted position over the bowl of tempered chocolate, shake and twist it vigorously to coax the excess to drain back into it. Turn the bowl upright and slap the outside of the bowl to smooth the surface of the chocolate and settle the little that's left in the bottom.

3. For a clean edge, this step is important. Wrap the tip of your index finger in the corner of a slightly damped cloth (I use Handi-Wipes) and clean the excess chocolate off the rim, swiping around the whole rim to define the thickness of the chocolate and form a clean edge.

4. Refrigerate the bowl only until the chocolate is barely dry to the touch--about 5 to 10 minutes. Repeat Steps 1, 2 and 3 to add a second layer. This time the chocolate will swirl more sluggishly because it is being applied over a cool layer of chocolate.

5. Refrigerate until firmly set--about 20 minutes. To test it's readiness to release, touch the bottom of the bowl (where the chocolate is thicker than the sides) with the back of your fingers. It should feel cold. Often you can see a separation along the rim where the chocolate has contracted.

6. To release, hold the sides of the mold with both hands, with your thumbs bracing the bottom and your fingers curled over the edge. Invert it over the work surface, pressing the bottom gently with both thumbs, if necessary. If it doesn't release easily, don't force it. Refrigerate a few more minutes and try again.

Now the fun begins. I often decorate the sides with cut-out pieces of chocolate clay, chocolate leaves, or piped designs. An example of one of my bowls with a grape cluster border can be found in my book, The Art of Chocolate.

Good luck and have fun.

[Lior]

Hi! I assume you MUST be Elaine...?! I have your book and will go look . Thank you SO much. If I decorate the inside of the bowl, then the chocolate bowl's outside will be decorated. This can be nice.
I appreciate your advice!
Thanks and it is really fun to have you here!!

[Kerry Beal]

Here is my first experiment. I put rings of colour into the white chocolate, dragged a toothpick through it as the video showed, then pushed a 5 inch balloon into it. I turned the balloon upside down in a container until the chocolate dried. I put a second layer of white, again upside down in the container. Then I did a single dip in dark chocolate and placed it down on parchment. As you can see my first cutting attempt was pathetic - it got a bit better. I just used a paring knife - I warmed it initially, but it didn't really seem necessary.

I think I'd have my white chocolate a little warmer next time around and come up with a good way to drizzle a circle of colour into the chocolate. I suspect putting it into a piping cone would be the best way to go. The result would be more even I suspect.

I think I need to do a couple of dips in the dark chocolate to make that layer thicker. The outside looks a little ratty - but if the white chocolate were warmer, then those layers would be less lumpy.

[tammylc]

Those look amazing, Kerry! I'd hoped to try my hand at bowls, but I didn't have the right balloons. But I was able to make some tulips, and that was really fun. It was much harder than it looked on the video to get the petals the same length. And the white chocolate didn't really turn out as stripes. But for a first attempt, I'm pleased with the results! I started with some with just dark chocolate, and brushed them with some luster dust for shine.

I didn't have any bamboo skewers, so I rigged up a "clothesline."


Bouquet of chocolate tulips.


Closeup

Edited by tammylc, 11 April 2009 - 06:56 PM.

[Kerry Beal]

Those look great Tammy. My one attempt at a tulip today made it straight into the garbage can - leaving a trail of white chocolate drizzles across the floor. It really requires a bigger bowl and holding the balloon just right I realized (too late into the process).