HOW TO MAKE A CHOCOLATE POINSETTIA

 

 

The above poinsettia is an edible poinsettia made from chocolate.  To make one, collect lemon leaves from a lemon tree or purchase some lemon leaves from your florist.  Wash the leaves in some water with dish detergent added, rinse well and dry with paper towels.

 

Melt the chocolate (candy melts) in a double boiler or microwave.  Then, with a pastry brush, coat the undersides of the leaves with melted chocolate.  Put the chocolate-coated leaves in the freezer for a few minutes.  Remove the coated leaves from the freezer and carefully peel off the leaves.  The imprint of the leaves will remain on the chocolate leaves giving a realistic look to your poinsettia.  If you are not planning to use the chocolate leaves immediately to form a poinsettia on a cake, keep them in a cool place or in the refrigerator until you are ready to use them.

 

To assemble the poinsettia first place 6 green chocolate leaves on top of the cake in a circle with the tips facing out.  Next place a row of  red leaves on top of green leaves placing  between the green leaves underneath and leave a hole in the center.  Place another row of red leaves, placing them between the red leaves underneath.

 

Pipe some green tinted buttercream to fill the center hole.  Roll yellow tinted marzipan or fondant into small balls tapering one end of each into a point.  Place them into the green center with the tapered end down.  You could also pipe some green buttercream in the center hole and add yellow stamens for the center.

 

I use candy wafers to lift the leaves some when assembling the poinsettia on the cake.  I used candy wafers in assembling both of these poinsettias.  Lifting the leaves helps to give the poinsettia some dimension and makes a more realistc looking flower.  I carefully lift the leaves and slide the wafer underneath towards the center so that it cannot be seen..

 

These poinsettias are rather easy to make but are quite impressive.

 

Below is an example of a pink poinsettia with yellow stamens used in the center.

 

In forming the above pink poinsettia, I arranged the two rows of pink leaves first.  Then I placed the 3 green leaves underneath the pink leaves.  I did it this way because when doing the red poinsettia, the red leaves covered most of the green leaves.

 

I prefer to coat the leaves with a rather thick coat of chocolate to help prevent breakage when peeling the leaves.

 

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