Image is for illustrative purposes only.
Chocolate tulips are moulded chocolate cups with a soft, wavy petal edge, made by dipping a small inflated balloon into melted chocolate and letting it set. Once the balloon is released you are left with a thin, crisp shell that looks like an opened flower and snaps cleanly when you bite it. They are one of the quickest ways to turn a plate of dessert into something that looks like it came out of a pastry shop.
I fill them with mousse, ice cream, whipped cream and berries, or set them on top of a cake as a centrepiece that can be eaten. The recipe uses a chocolate paste made for moulding, which sets hard and shiny without tempering, so the work is mostly patience and a steady hand rather than technique.
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.
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Weight Per Unit: 86
Number of Units: 7
Unit Size: chocolate tulip cup, about 80 g of chocolate each
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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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600 |
21.1 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 a good compound (coating) chocolate
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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 |
Inflate small balloons (water balloon size) to roughly the size of a large orange and knot them. Wash and dry them well, or wipe them over with a little alcohol, and let them dry completely. Line two trays with baking paper. |
Balloons clean, dry and free of any oil or dust; no wet surfaces anywhere near the chocolate |
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2 |
Melt |
Melt A (Calypso chocolate paste) in a bowl over a pan of hot water, or in the microwave in short bursts on medium, stirring between each burst. Keep the bowl deep enough to dip into. |
Smooth and runny at about 40°C (104°F); not a drop of water or steam in the bowl |
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Cool |
Stir the melted chocolate off the heat until it drops to working temperature. It should coat the back of a spoon without running straight off. |
About 31–32°C (88–90°F), just below body temperature on the lip |
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4 |
Pool |
Spoon small discs of the chocolate onto the lined trays, about 5 cm across, one for each tulip. These become the flat bases. |
Discs still wet and glossy when the balloons go on |
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Dip |
Hold a balloon by the knot and dip the base into the chocolate, then lift it and dip again a little higher on one side, turning and tilting so the chocolate rides up unevenly and forms petal edges. Let the excess drip back into the bowl. |
An even shell with no thin or bare patches, and a wavy rather than straight rim |
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Set |
Stand each dipped balloon on one of the wet chocolate discs and leave the tray in a cool room, or 5 to 10 minutes in the fridge if the day is warm. |
Chocolate firm, dull-looking and no longer cold to the touch underneath |
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7 |
Release |
Prick the balloon near the knot with a pin and let the air out slowly, holding the shell steady. Once it has shrunk away from the chocolate, peel it out carefully. |
Balloon comes away cleanly; work slowly, as letting the air out fast will crack the shell |
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Store |
Keep the finished tulips in a covered box in a cool, dry place and handle them with cotton gloves or by the base so you do not leave fingerprints. |
Stored at about 18°C (64°F), away from the fridge, strong smells and direct light |
Important Notes
The full commercial batch makes 30 tulips from 2.4 kg of chocolate; this quarter batch gives roughly seven, allowing about 80 g of chocolate each. Most of that chocolate runs back into the bowl and is used again, so nothing is wasted — you simply need a deep enough pool to dip into. Work in a cool kitchen: above about 24°C the shells stay soft and will not release from the balloons. Do not let any water reach the chocolate, or it will seize. Finished tulips keep for several weeks in a sealed box in a cool, dry place; never store them in the fridge, where they will sweat and dull. Fill them only just before serving so the filling does not soften the shell.
Tools & Arrangements
Heatproof bowl and a pan for a water bath, or a microwave; spatula; chocolate thermometer; small round balloons (water balloon size); pin; two flat trays; baking paper; spoon or small ladle; cotton gloves for handling.
