Divinely Divinci
- 8 pounds bittersweet chocolate, tempered
- 3 pounds white chocolate, tempered
- Cocoa butter
- Powdered food coloring, as desired
- Luster dust
- Modeling chocolate
- Vegetable oil, for the gloss
- This centerpiece is about inspiration and this recipe is about techniques you can use to make the molds and templates for the centerpiece that you design.
- This recipe will give approximate measures and ideas but this is not an exact recipe for the exact centerpiece I made.
- You can make molds or templates.
- If you make molds, use the Elastack material to create a mold for virtually any shape of an item made from virtually any relatively heat-proof material.
- For templates, draw the design onto poster board or foam board and use an X-acto knife to cut the design from the board.
- Make the molds: Place the Elastack molding material in a saucepan over medium heat until melted.
- Use metal rulers to outline the mold that you would like to make.
- For my centerpiece, I used some bicycle gears with sprockets I bought at a bicycle repair store.
- The pieces ranged in diameter from 2 to 17 inches and I chose them for their unique shapes.
- Place the rulers on a parchment paper lined sheet pan, and place the item(s) to be molded in the center of that space.
- Pour the melted Elastack over the item to be molded until it is completely covered.
- Let this set for about 30 minutes until the Elastack hardens.
- When set, remove the original piece.
- Now the mold is ready to use.
- I made templates for a 30-inch tall, gear inspired support piece, a 16-inch gear with sprocket, the flying machine wings, back reinforcement and spine, and other gears.
- If using templates, use an offset spatula to spread a 1/4-inch-thick layer of tempered dark chocolate over a sheet of parchment paper.
- If the piece you will cut out is very tall, make a thicker layer so the chocolate will support the height.
- Remember, dark chocolate is stronger than white chocolate.
- It is also easier to work with a thicker layer if you use rulers to outline the overall perimeter of the space.
- Let the chocolate set slightly.
- Place the template on top of the chocolate and use a paring knife to trace around it.
- I used a pastry tip to cut half-circles from the edge of the chocolate support piece to make the sprockets (the notched part) of the gear.
- Use a larger round cutter on the larger gear piece to cut sprockets around the outside perimeter.
- Make these cuts before the chocolate sets.
- When the chocolate is set, peel off the parchment and save the excess chocolate for a future use.
- Use a paper cornet filled with white chocolate to fill the small gears in the Elastack mold.
- Use the same technique to fill the other gears using dark or white chocolate, as you are inspired.
- Unmold the gears when the chocolate has set.
- Make the rivet heads: Place tempered dark chocolate in a pastry bag and pipe chocolate into a flexible mini-dome mold pan.
- Fill the domes half full.
- When the chocolate sets, unmold.
- If you want to add the additional detail of the head of a screw, use the back of a hot knife to score the center of the dome.
- Make a base: Use flexible aluminum strips or very large cake ring to form a base.
- The base I made was 16 inches in diameter.
- Place it on a parchment paper lined surface.
- Pour tempered dark chocolate inside the ring to form a 1/2-inch-thick layer.
- When the chocolate has set, remove the ring and peel off the parchment paper.
- I painted the gears with luster dust and cocoa butter.
- If you use an airbrush, simply place a few drops of color in the receptacle of the airbrush and decorate, as you are inspired.
- Remember, luster dust comes in a large array of colors and metals so have fun with this!
- Make a transfer sheet: If you would like to recreate a painting or image from a book, tape the original image to the work surface.
- Place a piece of acetate over the image.
- Mix together a few tablespoons of the cocoa butter with a small amount of powdered food color and trace the image with a paintbrush.
- It will be easier if you use a yogurt machine to store and warm your paints.
- Use an airbrush to "antique" the painting.
- If you use an airbrush, simply place a few drops of color in the receptacle of the airbrush and paint, as you are inspired.
- When the paint had dried, use an offset spatula to spread a 1/4-inch-thick layer of tempered white chocolate over the acetate design.
- When the chocolate begins to set, use a sharp paring knife to trim the outside edge of the painting.
- When the chocolate sets, peel away the acetate and the image will be on the chocolate.
- You can use this technique to recreate any image.
- The results will be as good as your painting skills!
- Modeling chocolate is a great medium to use to create any number of things.
- I used it to make the support of Leonardo's flying machine.
- I rolled a piece that was about 3/8-inch in diameter and about 3 inches long.
- Using tempered chocolate as glue, I positioned the wings on either side of the spine and glued them together.
- The reinforcement support was glued to 1 side.
- I inverted this whole piece and glued the modeling chocolate spine to the center.
- To make white chocolate decorations: Fill a paper cornet with tempered white chocolate.
- Use a scissor to trim the tip to a fine point.
- Use the chocolate to draw any design on the wings of the flying machine.
- Assemble: Use a sharp knife to scar the base of the chocolate where the support will be attached.
- Using tempered dark chocolate as glue, attach the center support.
- Glue the gears onto the tall support as you are inspired to do so.
- Continue with the rivets and more gears.
- Position the paintings and attach, if necessary.
- Add the flying machine.
- Use a pastry brush to gloss with vegetable oil, if desired.
- Place the Chocolate Gear Tarts around the base of the centerpiece.
- Chocolate Melter: Demarle New Jersey, Demarle.com
- Elastack: Industrial Plastics, 309 Canal Street, New York, NY (212)226-2010 OR Sutton Technologies, 97 Leslie Road, Bldg.
- G, North East MD, 21901 a410/287-7900 elastack.com
- Metal Rulers: Tomric Plastics
- Chocolate Cold Spray: PCB in France 011 33 0388 587333
- Lustre dust: PCB
- Modeling Chocolate: Beryl's
bittersweet chocolate, white chocolate, cocoa, coloring, dust, modeling chocolate, vegetable oil
Taken from www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/divinely-divinci-recipe.html (may not work)