Do Chocolate Shavings Like These......

Decorating By Dreme Updated 27 Nov 2006 , 2:04am by ShirleyW

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Dreme Posted 7 Nov 2006 , 4:21am
post #1 of 27

How do I make shavings that come out pretty like these? What type of chocolate do I use? What type of shaving tools? Help!


TIA!
LL

26 replies
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ShirleyW Posted 7 Nov 2006 , 4:35am
post #2 of 27

I would use a good quality chocolate such as Gibraltor. I have made ruffles and curls with tempered chocolate, but they can be made with untempered as well. I add about 1 Tablespoon of vegetable oil to 1 lb. melted chcolate. You can use melted cocoa butter but it is expensive and not always available locally. I warm a cookie sheet pan in the oven at about 200 degrees. You only want it warm enough that you can touch it without burning yourself. Turn the pan upside down and spread melted chocolate on the bottom, you want it smooth and not terribly thick, like about 1/8" thick. Refrigerate till the chocolate chills enough that you can touch it without leaving a fingermark, but it still has a little give to it. If it is too cold the ruffles or curls will shatter and splinter, if too warm they will just puddle up. It takes testing a few times to get it right. You may have to rewarm in the oven if it gets too cold. I use a bench scraper with the edge just under the chocolate, push away from yourself and the chocolate should curl. Cut off the curls with the scraper blade when they are the size you want. lay them on a waxed paper or parchment paper lined pan and refrigerate as you go. Continue till you have enough to do your dessert or cake top.

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playingwithsugar Posted 7 Nov 2006 , 4:38am
post #3 of 27

Well said, ShirleyW. I'm keeping this post in my archives, as I often get asked the very same question.

Theresa icon_smile.gif

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patticakesnc Posted 7 Nov 2006 , 4:46am
post #4 of 27

I was wondering the same thing! Great info!

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Briarview Posted 7 Nov 2006 , 5:50am
post #5 of 27

Shirleyw, would you know if these are made that way and if so what would you use? Or are they moulded chocolate? Thought you might know. Thanks
LL
LL

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susanscakebabies Posted 7 Nov 2006 , 6:05am
post #6 of 27

I am putting this in the archive too. I know I will need it one of these times. I have tried it in the past and not been very successful. So glad to have this thanks!!! thumbs_up.gif

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ShirleyW Posted 7 Nov 2006 , 6:53am
post #7 of 27

The first ones just look like random scrapes of chocolate that have been folded over while still pliable. The side chocolate panels are melted chocolate spread out on a cookie sheet or acetate paper, chilled till just set and then cut into strips or rectangles that are measured to the height of your cake and cut with a bench scraper, chilled till firm and then attached to an iced cake with a dab of melted chocolate. On the bottom curls, white and dark. If you slide the bench scraper just barely under the chocolate and just let it curl slightly, push straight away from yourself to begin the curl and then push at an angle to the left or right rather than straight it will curl like this.

For the chocolate ruffles I did on this cake, I froze a gumpaste cel board in the freezer, took it out and spread it with tempered chocolate, it sets up almost immediately so you have to work fast. But you slide a scraper under the length of the chocolate and you can lift it right off the board, accordian pleat it from the narrow sides with both hands, fold in half and pinch the bottom to make a fan shape, Then open up the top ruffles a bit. The sides of this cake are a chocolate wrap.
http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=coppermine&file=displayimage&pos=-81868

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playingwithsugar Posted 7 Nov 2006 , 10:47am
post #8 of 27

What's the link to the webpage for chocolate curls2?

Theresa icon_smile.gif

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JoanneK Posted 7 Nov 2006 , 10:56am
post #9 of 27

Can you use the candy coating chocolate to make the curls? You know, the little buttons you melt, like Merkins?

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playingwithsugar Posted 7 Nov 2006 , 11:01am
post #10 of 27

Yes, you can. In fact, Merckens is about the only one of those type of melts that I would use. I stay away from the other brands, mostly because of taste. I find other brands to be bitter by comparison. And since we all know that at least one person is going to munch on the ribbon, it's probably best to use a better quality melt.

Theresa icon_smile.gif

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JoanneK Posted 7 Nov 2006 , 11:06am
post #11 of 27

Thank you. My brother is the biggest chocolate lover and I would love to make a cake like these just to see his face as I hand it to him.

I'm going to have to practic making curls.

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Taigen Posted 7 Nov 2006 , 12:48pm
post #12 of 27

This is an interesting thread...thanks Shirley icon_smile.gif
But can I ask...how do you "save to archives"? I would like to be able to refer to this thread should I ever want to try this.
Thanks

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cakesbyallison Posted 7 Nov 2006 , 2:50pm
post #13 of 27

I have found that using a vegetable peeler, the one that is shaped like a "Y" is best. I use candy melts and pour them in a block, refridgerate and it gives great results. There's a grooms cake in my photo's w/ curls all on the top, you can check it out.

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ShirleyW Posted 7 Nov 2006 , 5:18pm
post #14 of 27

You know another hint I just thought of and forgot to mention in the earlier posts. Save your shattered or broken pieces of chocolate curls and add them to your cake top first, then cover those with your nicest curls. It helps fill in the area and you don't have to have as many perfect curls and you aren't wasting the ones that broke along the way.

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Briarview Posted 26 Nov 2006 , 9:16pm
post #15 of 27

Well I have tried these curls but I'm afraid they have more wrinkles than me and that's saying something.
I added veg oil to the white chocolate melts 1tlbspn to 6oz melts after I had melted then at med power. I put the mixture on the back of a stainless steel cooking tray (didn't warm it) and waited for it to set. The edges set before the inside. I used first a spakle knife and did manage to get some big curls but they are so wrinkly and just break. Just hit and miss if I get the right size. I have a month to get this right and ShirleyW can you or someone help please!
I also have made up a small batch of the White Chocolate Paste a recipe I got off here by Sweetart and thought I might be able to use this instead to mould shapes but it is curing.

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neurnr Posted 26 Nov 2006 , 9:36pm
post #16 of 27

I did some curls or my wedding cake by melting semi-sweet choc chips, then smearing it on the back of a glass pyrex that had been in the freezer. It sets up very quickly, but i used a metal spatula to score the chocolate into ribbons, then run the spatula under the choc guiding it into curls as i went. Probably not the best way, but it did work for me.

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ShirleyW Posted 26 Nov 2006 , 9:53pm
post #17 of 27

Warming the cookie sheet before spreading the melted chocolate is important, then chilling in the refrigerator. It just takes learning the timing of when the chocolate is just perfect to work with, lots of practice.

You can certainly make ruffles with fondant, just roll the paste a bit thicker than for flower petals. Or you can run the paste through your pasta maker. Cut rectangular strips about 6" long by 3" wide. Pick the piece up in both hands and accordian pleat the strip from the narrow side, then form a U and bring the two ends up so they are laying side by side, pinch at the bottom and flare out the top edge to a fan shape. Apply to the iced cake just as you would the chocolate ruffles. Here is a picture of some fondant ruffles I made for a wedding cake.
http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=coppermine&file=displayimage&meta=allby&uname=ShirleyW&cat=0&pos=169

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MrsAB Posted 26 Nov 2006 , 9:59pm
post #18 of 27

Great information. Thanks for sharing! I look forward to working with chocolate one day soon.

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jamiesue Posted 26 Nov 2006 , 10:01pm
post #19 of 27

Great info. I'm anywhere close to trying this, but hopefully will some day. Um I have the same question taigen had. How do you put this in your archives? Does just posting here do it? Are archives just my posts?
Thanks a lot ShirleyW
Jamie

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jamiesue Posted 26 Nov 2006 , 10:02pm
post #20 of 27

Oh yeah, dumb question #2 icon_redface.gif What is a bench scraper?

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maryak Posted 26 Nov 2006 , 10:15pm
post #21 of 27

That is so cool. Thanks ShirleyW, I've always wondered how these were done!! thumbs_up.gifthumbs_up.gif

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ShirleyW Posted 26 Nov 2006 , 10:17pm
post #22 of 27

Your welcome. Sorry, I don't know how to save posts or threads. Anyone else know?
A bench scraper or pastry scraper is a tool used by bakers to cut sections of dough and to scrape off the work counter. Here is a link to a picture.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00004OCNJ/?tag=cakecentral-20

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Zmama Posted 26 Nov 2006 , 11:08pm
post #23 of 27

To save, click "watch this topic" under the page selection at the bottom. You can keep lots of posts in watched topics, then refer to them as necessary.

I have a bunch of yours saved! Mostly chocolate work.

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jamiesue Posted 27 Nov 2006 , 1:41am
post #24 of 27

Oh that's called a bench scraper. I used to have one when I made alot of homemade bread in college and I think it got left in the house that I lived in icon_sad.gif .

This thread is definitely going in watched topics. thanks zmama.

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ShirleyW Posted 27 Nov 2006 , 1:50am
post #25 of 27

Thanks for the info. zmama. Are you speaking of saving my posts on chocolate? I didn't think I had done much in the way of chocolate. Just love eating it, and love your quote at the end of your posts too. icon_biggrin.gif

I thought if you clicked "Watch this topic" it meant you would get an email everytime someone posted to the thread so have never clicked on it.

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Zmama Posted 27 Nov 2006 , 1:59am
post #26 of 27

Shirley,
yes, you will get an email, but just delete it, and when they stop posting on the topic (a couple of days usually) it will simply be "saved"

Of course, it would be nice to have a "Favorite Topics" next to the Favorite Photos link, wouldn't it??

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ShirleyW Posted 27 Nov 2006 , 2:04am
post #27 of 27

Ah, I see. I joined a British cake forum years ago and you got an email on every post of every thread, 24-7, drove me crazy.

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