How to make chocolate roses
Chocolates and flowers, in particular roses, have been entwined in romance throughout history. Both men and women see chocolates and flowers as the perfect romantic gesture. In this article I will take you through 12 simple steps to make your own chocolate roses at home.
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This recipe will make about six full sized 3 inch roses. However the quantity can be adjusted depending on the size you want the roses to be. You need to begin with one-half pound of chocolate plastic. Begin to knead the chocolate until it is smooth and supple. If you are using white chocolate knead with powdered sugar and if you are using milk or dark chocolate use some unsweetened cocoa powder. If it is too hard to knead, microwave it in five second intervals until it becomes pliable. Do not microwave for too long as it can become too soft to work with.
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Dust you work surface and rolling pin with either sugar or cocoa powder and roll the chocolate into a very thin layer. If you have a lot of chocolate you might want to divide the chocolate up and roll it out in batches.
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Make sure your the chocolate is rolled into a think layer less than 1/8 of an inch thick.
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You can now use a small round cutter to cut circles from the chocolate. For one full sized rose you need nine circles of chocolate and for the rosebuds you will need 4-5 circles. The size of the cutter determines the size of the finished rose. A one and a half in cutter will create a rose approximately 3 inches wide.
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The rose needs to be created from the centre first. Take one of the cut circles and roll it into a cylinder. Make sure there is a small hole at the top of the cylinder and a larger hole at the bottom.
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Now take another circle you have made and use your fingers to flatten one end of it until it is paper thin. This will the top of the petal and it helps give the rose a delicate look. You will need to do this thinning effect for every petal you put on the rose.
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You now need to wrap your first petal around the cylinder and make sure the top of the petal is level with the top of the cylinder, pressing it at the bottom to adhere the chocolate plastic.
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Now you have one petal wrapped around your centre meaning you now have a rosebud. If you want to stop it here you need to curve the edge of the petal inward slightly and it partially covers the centre of the flower. If you want to create a flower in full bloom then curve the edge of the petal outward slightly and continue on to the next step to add more petals.
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Thin the edge of another circle to add a second petal. The trick to get a life like rose is to slip a second petal underneath the edge of the first one. Then add a third petal whose edge starts just under the second one to complete the first layer of petals.
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Now you have added three petals to your centre you should have a small, half bloomed rose. You can stop it here or to make a full rose continue to the next step.
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You need to use the five remaining petals to add a second layer to the rose. You to need to thin the circles as before and sliding the edge of each new petal under the previous one as with the first layer. Curl the outer petals out slightly to create the rose bloom. You may have some excess chocolate if you do then roll it out and create more petals.
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The roses are now completed. Allow the roses to sit at room temperature and dry for 24 hours. Once the roses are set they can be stored in an airtight container.