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Before we start, please read the previous lessons on tempering fine chocolate and on molding with chocolate. I am going to assume that you have your chocolate prepared and understand the molding with chocolate. Aprons on -- welcome to the world of chocolate decorations. Please make sure and read the total directions before starting so you will know where you are going with each process.

Ingredients and Equipment:

1 lb. Melted and tempered semisweet chocolate or melted compound chocolate
1/2 lb. Melted and tempered white chocolate or melted compound chocolate

Thin flexible sheets of smooth plastic. The thin plastic sheets that come in shirts, nylons and in some frozen food products work well. Look in craft shops, hardware stores and home supply stores. You can also cut rounds out of the tops that come with plastic ice cream, yogurt, and butter containers but you won' be able to do really tall items.

A small offset spatula

Parchment paper lined cookie sheets (it helps if they fit in your refrigerator if your kitchen is warm)

Small plastic bags will work well as piping bags. You can let the leftover chocolate harden in the bag so it is easy to remove and re-use.

8 ounce glasses or jars to hold piping bags. These can be kept warm in the oven on the lowest possible setting.

Kitchen scissors and a utility or exacto knife.

The Techniques

Chocolate Piping

Draw outline shapes on a sheet of parchment paper. Think flowers, leaves, vines, hearts, initials, fanciful lattice type shapes, stick figures, etc. Once you have the designs done, place around 1/2 cup of warm chocolate into one of the bottom corners of a small plastic bag. Carefully gather up the bag top and twist to enclose the chocolate. With a pair of scissors, cut a very tiny hole in the corner of the bag. Squeeze gently to release the chocolate. Trace your design with the warm chocolate then let them harden at room temperature or in the refrigerator. Very carefully peel the chocolate design off the parchment paper. Once you get really proficient at this technique -- try laying the parchment over a rolling pin or other cylindrical shape to get a curved design, which adds another dimension to your decorations.

Chocolate Ribbons

These are not the thick malleable chocolate ribbons made with sugar syrup but thin ribbons of chocolate, which can be used to encase the sides of a cake, cheesecake, cupcake, or ice cream ball. Cut parchment paper in two-inch wide strips. They can be as long and wide as you need to encase the cake or other item, but let's start with 2 inch wide by around 12 inches long so you can learn the technique.

Using a spatula carefully spread a thin layer of chocolate across the strip of parchment. Be careful not to go over the edges, it makes removing the parchment afterwards difficult without breaking the edge. Leave about 1/8 of an inch between the chocolate layer and the edge of the parchment. Carefully picking up the wet chocolate-coated paper lay it, chocolate side in, against the cake. Enclose it all the way around cutting off any excess so the ends just touch each other without overlapping. If the paper doesn't go all the way around let that piece harden then fill in the missing area with another piece later.

Once you have this technique mastered, try combining two colors of chocolate. For example, spread a very, very thin layer of which chocolate over the paper leaving gaps and holes. Then spread a layer of semisweet chocolate over that. The finished product will have both colors showing for a nice and professional effect. You can experiment with stripes, blobs, etc. You can even pipe designs on the parchment, let them set up just a little and very carefully smooth another layer over that one. Experiment and you will come up with some wonderful combinations.

Chocolate Shapes

Draw open designs of leaves, gingerbread men, stars, long triangles, etc on the plastic sheets and cut out carefully with a utility knife. Place the plastic sheet on a piece of parchment paper. Holding the plastic steady, carefully smooth a layer of chocolate into the shape with an offset spatula. You want the chocolate to be not much thicker then the plastic sheet. Carefully lift up the sheet and you have a design in chocolate on the parchment paper. Let the design harden and carefully remove from the parchment paper. You can decorate the shape with chocolate piping or thin layer of the opposite color of chocolate. Think of this technique when you want to produce large architectural elements for decorating desserts, cakes and ice cream.

Pam Williams is an educator and business strategist specializing in marketing and communications. Her culinary accomplishments include: founder Ecole Chocolat Professional Chocolatier School, founder of the specialty chocolatier, au Chocolat; author and publisher of three cookbooks including the Canadian best selling chocolate cookbook, Oh Truffles.

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