Do you just use one of those cheese slicer things? Do they sell something like that at Wal-Mart?

I want the curls to be big like the ones on this cake, which I found on the internet. IT IS NOT MINE!

Try this URL

http://candy.about.com/od/workingwithchocolate/tp/Chocolate-Curls.htm

Thanks Cake_Princess, that helped alot!

Does anyone know what kind of chocolate would be the best and easiest to use? I need these for a grooms cake by Thursday, so it has to be something I can pick up locally.

Zane Beg was just doing these at the Mid-Atlantic Cake Show. Unfortunately, I wasn't paying close attention. But even his little girl was making them! He used melted chocolate, don't know what kind but perhaps you can find Merckens locally or order some before next week? And he used something that looked like a pastry cutter (without the holes in it). At the time I thought you might be able to use a heart cookie cutter. He spread out the chocolate - maybe 1/8"?, let the choc set up so it was a little on the soft side and using the rounded part of the cutter pulled straight and ended in a slight arc motion. Sorry, kind of hard to describe...

I think it would work best with couveture coating (Wilton, Merkens, etc), but I've had very good results by melting good chooclate and adding 2-3 tablespoons of canola oil per pound.

My chocolate of choice for such things is Trader Joe's Pounder Plus bars.

I didn't realize that I would melt and "reshape" the choc. in a different size to "scrape" from. I just assumed you buy a block and go from there.

Thank you so much ladies! Your suggestions have helped alot!

MessyBaker

To get those kind of chocolate curls, yes. Straight-from-the-chocolate-bar is too brittle to curl like that.

Now if I'm being lazy (which isn't infrequent) I will make chocolate shavings by using a normal vegetable peeler on a bar of chocolate that I wrap in plastic wrap then warm slightly with me hands. It doesn't make tons of defined curls although there are some that make it. It's more "shaved" - they're very delicate so you can't touch them or they just melt. I shave them onto parchment paper then use a spoon to put them where I want them. It gives a nice textured finish to the cake.

Oh no! Ya'll, I used shortening instead of the oil! Will this still work? I mixed it with wilton candy melts and it's still not setting up! Help!

It may not. Candy melts aren't real chocolate - I think they already have some sort of oil/wax in them?

MessyBaker, I actually took the class at this past Mid-Atlantic Cake show with Zane Beg. He did use candy melts. We all brought the WIlton kind and I used those as well as the expensive brand he brought (sorry can't remember what it was) and they both worked (well as long as you had the correct board-I didn't).
What he had us do was melt the chocolates (he said just melted-you should be able to touch it with your finger and not get burned) small amounts at a time to start out with, pour it on the board (there was a special corian type board someone was selling at the show but I couldn't find until after the class) work the choc until the shine is gone and that will be when it is in the cooling process, then use the shaver (it was a small block of board with this U shaped thing attached) pull down about 1 inch and then make a sharp turn to the right (I guess if you're left handed you can do it to the left) and lift it up. I actually tried on someone else's board and it worked.
I hope this is helpful. If not pm and I can get the directions off the curler bag in the basement.

Thank you for your replies! I am going to have to give up for now. I have so much going on this week and I am totally stressing!

I will be trying to master this technique at a later time though! The advice everyone has shared has been so helpful. Thanks again to all who helped me!

Messy Baker

BTW, It did harden, but wouldn't curl! Like I said.......will have to work on that I guess.