Sculpted Roses

A couple of weeks ago I promised a full tutorial on sculpted roses for tutorial Tuesday. I try to do a tutorial every Tuesday, but I took off the week of Christmas. Sorry. It had to happen. This week is shaping up to be one of extreme excitement as this year draws to a close. Tomorrow morning I will doing another cooking segment on Fox 10 , this time on freezer meals and how to use them to keep on track with your diet. Joining me on the piece will be one of my old high school friends...Sione Fa (The Biggest Loser, season 7).Along with his sister Selena who is so cute and amazing. It should be a lot of fun. Though I don't think I will be giving him nooogies like I used to when he was smaller than me.

On to the roses. If you missed the last entry Neive's Modeling Chocolate is what we will be using to make the roses. So you will need to read that and prepare some in order to proceed with the tutorial. I start with a hunk of chocolate. This isn't going to technical, since it's more of an art than an exact science and some of this stuff just comes by experience. I've been making roses like this for 15 years.

Mold the chocolate into a base like this.

Take a second piece of modeling chocolate about 1 inch in diameter, and roll it into a ball. Mold it into a long petal, about 2 inches long, and pinch one edge until it is paper thin, like a real petal. Wrap the petal around the base like this.

Curl it back slightly.

Repeat with another one inch ball rolled and then shaped into a petal. Place it squarely in front of the opening of the bud. Repeat three times, placing petals one third of the way around the base of the rose.

Place it on the rose so that all three petals look like this.

It is very important that the rose maintain the shape of a rose. Yea, like a strict diet and exercise...or a petal tuck. Plastic surgeon Tess. Keep it nice and smooth folks.

Repeat this petal pattern with a second layer of 5 petals, made from 1/2 inch balls of modeling chocolate.
When rose is completed, I add a light dusting of pearl powder. Wilton makes it. I got mine at Orson Gygi Co.

Bronze and Red pearl give the roses a wonderful effect. Modeling chocolate picks up the pearl quite nicely.

Hand sculpted roses. There you go. It takes a lot of practice, but I think you can do it.

Neive's Modeling Chocolate

I've had a lot of requests for some tips on modeling sculpted roses and flowers from chocolate. It's a pretty amazing technique. I promised I would post some of the basics this week, and alas on Tuesday, my day got frantic. So Saturday is here. I'll start by sharing the basic recipe for modeling chocolate that (believe it or not) I didn't come up with, but my mom did. She is food science wizard sometimes, thanks to a degree in Home Economics Education, and invaluable real life "hard knocks" training. I used to have to find this modeling chocolate at speciality gourmet bakery supply stores...and the price was incredible. This homemade stuff not only tastes better, but I've found it easier to work with. Keep in mind that the better the grade of the chocolate, the better results you will have. However...that being said, most any chocolate will do if you are just wanting to practice.

Neive's Modeling Chocolate

10 ounces chocolate, chopped(white chocolate is very pliable for flower working)
1/3 cup corn syrup

Place chocolate in a double boiler over a low heat and stir until melted, about 5 minutes. Add the corn syrup and stir until well combined. Pour mixture out onto a pan that has been lined with parchment paper. Allow to cool 24 hours at room temperature.

When it is cooled you will have the start of hand sculpting.

There you go.