Imitation - the sincerest form of flattery
I’m the first to admit that when I think something is a good idea, I copy it.
Typically, when I try to imitate the things I find interesting, it doesn’t work out. There is a mile long list of things that seemed awesome when I saw other people doing it.. but upon trying it myself, just turned into a mess. This list includes: dying my hair black, wearing light colored pants, smoking cigarettes, practicing yoga, etc)
But in the case of my chocolate fruit cups, it worked. About two weeks ago, one of my friends made little cups out of parmesan cheese, that looked like this:
Cool, isn’t it? Since I love chocolate, my first thought was “There has got to be a way to re-create this with chocolate. I must figure it out.”
Of course, where there’s a will, there’s a way. By using silicone cupcake liners lined with foil, I was able to turn this appetizer into a dessert.
Here’s the lowdown:
Step 1: Pipe melted chocolate into your cupcake liners. The piping requires ZERO skill. I basically dragged my piping bag back and forth, several times over the bottom, the side, and along the rim. Let them harden in the fridge overnight.
Step 1a: This is the part that requires patience and skill. When you’re ready to serve the dessert, carefully peel away the liner, so you’re left with the chocolate shell. A lot of them will break, so I recommend making more shells than you’ll actually need.
Step 2: Cut up some fruit, like so:
Step 3: Put whipped cream into your chocolate shells. I made my own whipped cream, but I think the canned stuff will work fine:
Step 4: Put your fruit on top of the whipped cream, and voila!
It’s a great recipe for special occasions - the chocolate shells add a certain faciness to it. A “fancy factor,” if you will. :)
Coming soon: My love-hate relationship with the 30 Minute Meals cookbook.
