Chocolate lashes

These elgant, delicate swoops almost look like dancing chocolate when used to decorate cakes and desserts.

Credit: The Chocolate Queen

• serves

  8-10

• prep

  30 minutes

• cook

  5 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Use these on Kirsten Tibballs' lamington cake. 

Ingredients

• 100 g good quality dark couverture chocolate 54%

Instructions

1. Cut strips of baking paper approximately 50 mm in width.
2. Temper the dark chocolate by placing it into a microwave-safe plastic bowl, heat in 30 second increments, stirring in between. Once you have 50 % solids and 50 % liquid, stir vigorously until the solids have completely melted.
3. Transfer the tempered chocolate into a paper piping cone, zip lock bag or piping bag. Cut off the tip and pipe 20 mm discs of chocolate approximately 20 mm apart onto the strips of baking paper.
4. Holding a teaspoon vertically, place the tip into the centre of the chocolate disc and pull it back on a slight angle to create the chocolate garnishes.
5. Allow to set at room temperature or in the refrigerator for 5 minutes. These can be made in advance and kept at room temperature once set.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

Use these on Kirsten Tibballs' lamington cake.