Image is for illustrative purposes only.
Timber barks are thin, curved shards of chocolate streaked to look like planks of weathered wood. They are made from white compound chocolate marbled with a little chocolate paste, spread thin, combed into a grain and allowed to curl as it sets. Because they are made with compound chocolate they set hard and glossy without tempering, which makes them one of the easiest decorations to produce in quantity at home.
Use them standing around the sides of a cake, leaning against a mousse dessert, or scattered over a torte for a rustic woodland look. They snap cleanly, taste sweet and creamy, and can be made weeks ahead and kept in a cool cupboard until you need them.
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: 13
Number of Units: 45
Unit Size: timber bark shard, roughly 8 x 4 cm
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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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75 |
2.6 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.
for the wood grain colour
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B
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525 |
18.5 ounces
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White Chocolate (Compound)
Compound chocolate is a product made from a combination of cocoa, vegetable fat, and sweeteners. It is used as a lower-cost alternative to true chocolate, as it uses less-expensive hard vegetable fats such as coconut oil or palm kernel oil in place of the more expensive cocoa butter. It may also be known as 'compound coating' or 'chocolatey coating' when used as a coating for candy.
buttons or callets
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melted |
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600
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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 strips of acetate or thick baking paper about 10 cm wide and as long as your tray. Have a wood graining rocker, a serrated scraper or a decorating comb ready, along with a clean palette knife and a rolling pin or a length of pipe to curve the barks over. |
Everything cut and within reach before the chocolate is melted |
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2 |
Melt |
Melt B (white compound chocolate) gently over a pan of hot water or in short bursts in the microwave, stirring between each burst. |
Smooth and fluid, no hotter than 45°C (113°F); compound chocolate does not need tempering, but overheating will dull it |
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3 |
Colour |
Soften A (Calypso chocolate paste) and stir about two thirds of it through the melted chocolate to give an even, pale timber colour. Keep the rest aside for streaking. |
Evenly coloured, still fluid and pourable |
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4 |
Streak |
Drizzle the reserved paste in fine lines over the surface of the coloured chocolate and stir once or twice only. |
Visible dark streaks running through the chocolate, not blended in |
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5 |
Spread |
Pour a ribbon of the streaked chocolate onto an acetate strip and spread it thin and even with a palette knife, working along the length of the strip so the streaks run lengthways. |
About 2 mm thick and evenly covered to the edges |
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6 |
Grain |
Immediately drag the graining rocker, comb or serrated scraper down the length of the strip, rocking it slightly as you go to cut wavy grain lines and knots into the surface. |
Clear grain lines showing through to the acetate; work quickly before the chocolate begins to set |
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7 |
Curve |
Lift the strip and lay it over a rolling pin, inside a length of pipe or between two supports so it takes a gentle curve, and leave it to set in a cool room. |
Firm and no longer tacky, about 15 to 20 minutes; do not put it in the fridge |
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8 |
Break |
Peel the acetate away from the set chocolate and snap the sheet into bark-shaped shards with your hands or the tip of a knife. |
Clean snap with a glossy underside; handle by the edges so they do not mark |
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9 |
Store |
Layer the finished barks between sheets of paper in an airtight container and keep them in a cool, dry place until needed. |
Cool and dry, around 18°C (64°F), away from any smells or damp |
Important Notes
The scaled batch uses 600 g of chocolate in total and gives roughly 45 barks of about 13 g each, enough to wrap the sides of two or three 20 cm cakes. Compound chocolate is used here because it sets hard and shiny without tempering, so long as it is not heated past about 45°C. Work in a cool room; if the kitchen is warm the chocolate will not set and the grain lines will flow closed. Do not refrigerate the barks, as condensation will make them sticky and dull. Stored airtight in a cool, dry cupboard they keep for several weeks, so they can be made well ahead.
Tools & Arrangements
Heatproof bowl and saucepan or microwave, spatula, palette knife, acetate sheets or thick baking paper cut into strips, wood graining rocker, decorating comb or serrated scraper, flat trays, rolling pin or length of pipe for curving, airtight storage container
