Image is for illustrative purposes only.
Chocolate abstracts are free-form chocolate shapes cut or broken from a thin sheet of set chocolate. They are the quickest way to lift a plain iced cake or an individual dessert: a few shards standing upright in a swirl of cream, or a fan of curved pieces laid across the top of a torte. Made properly they snap cleanly, shine like glass and taste of good chocolate rather than decoration.
The recipe is really a technique rather than a mixture. One chocolate is melted, brought to working temperature, spread thinly on a smooth sheet and left to set flat, then cut while it is still soft enough to give or snapped once fully hard. Kept cool and dry, the finished shapes hold for weeks, so it is worth making a batch and putting them aside for whenever a cake needs finishing.
Ingredients
The weights in the recipe table below will yield the following 'weight per unit' and 'number of units'. If you would like to change the recipe to cater to a different 'weight per unit' and/or 'number of units',
you can use the Recipe Calculator Tool below the ingredients table.
Note: The Recipe Calculator Tool is available to subscribers.
Weight Per Unit: 4
Number of Units: 60
Unit Size: abstract chocolate decoration, about 3.5 g each
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WEIGHT
(grams)
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ALTERNATIVE METRIC
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INGREDIENT
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IMAGE
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CONDITION
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A
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225 |
7.9 ounces
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Calypso Chocolate Paste
Calypso is a dark, chocolate flavoured baking paste used by bakeries to deepen the colour and flavour of chocolate cakes and sponges. At home the same weight of melted dark compound chocolate, or a little extra cocoa powder loosened with warm water, will do the same job.
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chopped or buttons |
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225
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Recipe Calculator Tool
Using this tool, you can alter this recipe for your own requirements. Use the two fields below to generate new weights for the ingredients above.
STEP 1. Enter your Custom Weight Per Unit
The 'Custom Weight Per Unit' is already loaded with the weight per unit for this recipe but can be changed if required. If all you wish to do is change the number of units (or servings), just leave the current weight per unit.
STEP 2. Enter your Custom Number of Units
This is the number of units (or servings) you want this recipe to yield.
STEP 3. Click Calculate
The new weights for your adjusted recipe will be displayed in the table above.
Method
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STEP
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ACTION
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DETAIL
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CONDITION
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1 |
Prepare |
Cut sheets of acetate or glassine paper to fit a flat tray, and lay them on a cold, level bench. Have a palette knife, a long thin-bladed knife or a ruler, and a second sheet of paper and a flat board ready before you start. |
Everything to hand and dry; a single drop of water will seize the chocolate |
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2 |
Melt |
Melt A (Calypso chocolate paste) over a pan of hot but not boiling water, or in short bursts in the microwave, stirring between each burst. |
Smooth and fluid, no more than 45°C (113°F); no steam or water near the bowl |
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3 |
Cool |
Stir the melted chocolate over a cool bench or a bowl of cool water until it comes down to working temperature. |
About 30–32°C (86–90°F), slightly cool on the lip, still flowing easily |
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4 |
Spread |
Pour a ribbon of chocolate along one edge of the acetate and spread it out thinly and evenly with a palette knife, working in one direction. |
An even sheet about 2 mm thick, with no bare patches |
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5 |
Rest |
Leave the sheet at cool room temperature until the surface loses its wet shine and the chocolate is firm but still gives under a fingernail. |
Matt surface, set but not yet brittle, usually 5 to 10 minutes |
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6 |
Cut |
Mark and cut the sheet into abstract shapes with a thin knife or a ruler: long slivers, wedges, triangles, curved slices, whatever suits the cake. Cut straight down and lift the blade away cleanly rather than dragging it. |
Clean lines that do not tear or smear |
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7 |
Set |
Lay a second sheet of paper over the top and a flat board on that, then leave the chocolate to set completely at cool room temperature or 10 minutes in the fridge. |
Fully hard and releasing from the acetate on its own; the pieces stay flat under the board |
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8 |
Separate |
Peel the acetate away and snap the shapes apart along the cuts, handling them by the edges with gloves or a paper towel so you do not mark the shine. |
Pieces snap cleanly with a sharp sound and a glossy face |
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9 |
Store |
Layer the finished abstracts between sheets of paper in an airtight container and keep them in a cool, dry place away from light and strong smells. |
Cool and dry, 15–18°C (59–64°F); not in the fridge, where they will sweat |
Important Notes
This quantity makes about 60 decorations of roughly 3.5 g each, enough to finish several cakes. Nothing is lost in the making: trimmings and broken pieces can be melted again and spread for the next sheet. Work in a cool kitchen, as chocolate spread in a warm room will not set with a shine and will not snap. Stored airtight in a cool dry place, the shapes keep for several weeks. Never refrigerate them for storage, as condensation dulls the surface and leaves grey streaks. Handle the finished shapes as little as possible; fingerprints show badly on a glossy face.
Tools & Arrangements
Heatproof bowl and saucepan or microwave, spatula, thermometer, acetate or glassine sheets, flat tray, palette knife, long thin-bladed knife and ruler, a flat board for weighting, airtight container, disposable gloves
