Bainbridge Style

My friend Carlyn should really be a cake designer.  She kindly pretends that I inspire her but the reverse is true.  She has a calm, purposeful way about her.  She  measures everything in advance and has lots of spatulas.  I doubt she’s ever wandered around her kitchen trying to find the blade to her food processor nor is it likely she’d be found flinging drawers open in a frantic search for the candy thermometer. 

Her Wilton roses look like roses, and while I’ve not witnessed such I’ll bet she can fit Happy birthday on a cupcake without having the ‘y’ slope off the side. 

And she’s so much fun and so kind that she’s the person I called when I wanted to make chocolate leaves but lacked the confidence to do it myself.

I’ve been intrigued by chocolate leaves for a long time but was convinced that making something so delicate and beautiful was beyond my limited artistic abilities.  Happily, I was wrong.

Here’s what you need:

Chocolate Leaves

• Chocolate
• Kid’s paint brush
• Camellia leaves, washed and dried.

Melt a few ounces of your favorite chocolate.  Make sure it’s one you like because you get to eat the broken leaves and wasting a golden chocolate opportunity like that would be a real shame.  We used Callebaut semisweet.  A single, thick coating creates the best looking and sturdiest leaves so don’t be shy; really glop in on.

Run your finger along the leaf’s edge to remove excess chocolate.  Freeze for ten minutes or until firm.  Carefully peel away the chocolate.  Broken leaves get tossed back into the melting pot or eaten.

Use them however you want.  I offered some as a treat with tea. They’d be pretty atop a cupcake.  Clever Bainbridge moms may use them in nature lessons, an advancement on leaf rubbings.  Let me know if you’ve got a great chocolate leaf application because I’d like to make them again. (and again…)

Note: Cross posted from Bainbridge Style.

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