does anyone have any information about how to work with chocolate. I have not worked with chocolate other than those waffers from the grocery store. I am wanting to make chocolate swirls to stick out the side of a cake. I have some chocolate from Hardyn Hause that I don't want to ruin.

Thanks
Janice

If you have real chocolate, it needs to be tempered in order to work with it. It takes some practice to be able to melt and then temper chocolate, so if that's what you have, I'd save it for when you have time to practice and not when there's a cake due.

You can make chocolate decorations for cakes with the confectioner's coatings or candy melts or bark or whatever your brand calls them, lol. If you want to use them to make big curls, melt the candy and put it in a mini loaf pan and let it harden. You can then pop out the loaf of chocolate, and use a peeler to peel curls off the side of the loaf.

Deanna

thanks, that is what I was thinking. Now I do have time for this cake. Now is when I would like to practice. Any sites you would reccomend or any directions on learning on how to melt and temper chocolate properly? Lessons for a newbie.

Thanks
Janice

Try this:
http://www.scharffenberger.com/howto.asp#temper
http://www.ghirardelli.com/bake/chocolate_tempering.aspx

You will need a good thermometer and you will need to pay close attention to the temperatures! As time passes and you are able to get the temper correct more and more often, you will be able to feel it when the chocolate is right, but for now, take its temperature!

I've taken classes and gone through a chocolate program, and worked for a handmade chocolate shop. No matter how many times you can get the temper just exactly right, there will be times when it just doesn't work. Don't get discouraged. Make some ganache and eat it anyway.

Practice!

Deanna