Image is for illustrative purposes only.
Chocolate leaves are one of the simplest and most effective decorations you can make. A single chocolate is melted, brushed over the back of a clean, firm leaf, left to set, and then peeled away, leaving a perfect chocolate copy complete with every vein. Thin, crisp and glossy, they snap cleanly when you bite them and taste of nothing but good chocolate.
I keep a box of them ready for finishing cakes, gateaux and dessert plates. They lean beautifully against the side of a cake, sit on top of a swirl of cream or ganache, and dress a plated dessert in seconds. Made with a compound chocolate paste they need no tempering, so they set hard and shiny at room temperature and store for weeks.
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: 7
Number of Units: 36
Unit Size: chocolate leaves, about 6 cm long
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WEIGHT
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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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250 |
8.8 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.
or dark compound chocolate
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chopped or buttons |
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250
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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 |
Choose firm, food-safe leaves with strong raised veins, such as rose, camellia, bay or lemon leaves, leaving a little stem on each. Wash them well, then dry them completely with paper towel. Line a flat tray with baking paper and clear a space in the fridge. |
Leaves completely dry, with no water left in the veins |
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2 |
Melt |
Melt A (Calypso chocolate paste) gently over a pan of hot water or in the microwave in short bursts, stirring between each one. |
Smooth and fully liquid, about 40–45°C (104–113°F); never let water or steam touch the chocolate |
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3 |
Cool |
Stir the melted chocolate off the heat until it thickens very slightly and is just warm. |
Around 30°C (86°F), thick enough to hold a coat without running off the leaf |
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4 |
Coat |
Hold a leaf by its stem, underside up, and brush or spoon an even layer of chocolate over the veined back of the leaf. Keep the chocolate off the edges and off the front of the leaf, or it will be hard to peel. |
An even coat about 2 mm thick, with no thin or bare patches |
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5 |
Set |
Lay each coated leaf chocolate side up on the lined tray and leave to set at cool room temperature, or 10 minutes in the fridge. |
Firm, dull-free and no longer tacky to the touch |
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6 |
Peel |
Working from the stem end, carefully peel the real leaf away from the chocolate. Handle the chocolate by the edges, or wear thin gloves, so you do not mark the shiny surface with your fingers. |
The leaf lifts away cleanly, leaving every vein printed in the chocolate |
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7 |
Store |
Layer the finished leaves between sheets of baking paper in a lidded box and keep them in a cool, dry place away from light and strong smells. |
Crisp and glossy; they will keep for several weeks |
Important Notes
The bakery batch of 1.25 kg of chocolate makes about 180 leaves, roughly 7 g of chocolate each. This home batch of 250 g makes about 36 leaves of around 6 cm, or fewer if you use larger leaves.
Use only leaves you know are food safe and not sprayed — rose, camellia, bay, lemon and magnolia all work well. Avoid poisonous ornamental leaves. The leaves themselves are never eaten; they are only moulds.
Compound chocolate needs no tempering, which is why it is used here: it sets hard and shiny at room temperature. If you use real couverture instead, it must be tempered or the leaves will streak and soften in the hand.
Work in a cool kitchen. If the chocolate is too warm it runs off the leaf and the finished leaves will be too thin to peel without breaking. Make a few extras, as some always break.
Store the finished leaves in a sealed box in a cool, dry place, not in the fridge, where they will sweat once brought back to room temperature.
Tools & Arrangements
Fresh food-safe leaves with raised veins, heatproof bowl and saucepan or microwave, spatula, small pastry brush or palette knife, thermometer, flat tray, baking paper, thin food-safe gloves, airtight storage box
