Chocolate Squiggles

If you have a little extra time, it’s fun to make some chocolate squiggles to use to garnish your cupcakes or desserts. It isn’t difficult, and you can make them weeks in advance, as long as you keep them in an airtight container away from heat or humidity. Tempering is just a way of stabilizing the sugar crystals in the melted chocolate so the chocolate will be crisp and shiny.

4-8 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate 

Reserve about 1-1/2 to 2 ounces of chocolate to use for the tempering phase. Place at least 4 ounces of chocolate into a microwave-safe glass container and microwave the chocolate until it is mostly melted and the chocolate is 108-110 degrees Fahrenheit. You should do this in short time intervals. Start with 1 minute, check the chocolate, and then if it’s not ready, put it back into the microwave for 15 more seconds. Repeat at 15-second intervals until the chocolate is at the correct temperature and most, but not all, of it is melted. Use an instant read thermometer to check the temperature.

There should still be some soft lumps of chocolate in it. Remove the bowl from the microwave and stir it with a fork or small whisk until it is smooth. Begin the tempering phase by adding about 1-1/2 ounces of chopped chocolate to the bowl and stirring until it melts, continuing to stir until the chocolate drops to 90 degrees. Wrap a towel around the bowl to help retain the heat, and drizzle the chocolate onto a parchment-lined baking tray in designs about 2 inches wide and 2 or 3 inches long. Set the trays in a cool place for several minutes to allow the chocolate to set. You can also place the tray in your refrigerator for up to 5 minutes. When it is set the chocolate should be shiny and hard. Store the squiggles in an airtight container with wax paper or parchment between the layers, in a cool, dry place.

When you are ready to serve your dessert, insert a squiggle in each serving so that it stands up festively.

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