Ghirardelli Dessert Cups

How amazing does this dessert look?!  Almost too good to eat.  This is the first recipe I’ve seen that requires balloons as part of the preparation!

You will need:

• 1 1/2 pounds of semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 8 small round balloons

Directions:

• melt 3/4 pound of chocolate. Cool about 5 minutes.
• Inflate balloons to 4-inch diameter; knot. Holding balloons by knot, dip into chocolate, tipping to cover balloon halfway up with chocolate.
• Place balloon, knotted side up, on wax paper-lined baking sheet, holding balloon in place until it starts to set. Repeat with remaining balloons to make 8 cups. Place in freezer 5 minutes.
• Melt remaining 3/4 pound chocolate and repeat dipping procedure; place in freezer 10 minutes. Snip hole in each balloon to deflate; carefully peel away from chocolate. Refrigerate until needed. Use the same day.  
• For extra effect, drizzle ‘cups’ with contrasting color melted chocolate. Or for second dipping, use contrasting color chocolate, leaving part of first dipping exposed.
• Fill cups with ice cream, sorbet, chocolate mousse or fresh fruit such as raspberries or strawberries.

via bfeedme.com

posted by Emily

Chocolate unwrapped

Bet you gals didn’t know that it’s chocolate week this week huh??!!! As a self- confessed chocoholic, this is one date that I have clearly marked in my calendar! Not that I need the excuse of chocolate week to indulge my addiction, but in my eyes, any celebration involving chocolate is not to be missed…

So if you’re also a fan of chocolate and lucky enough to be living in London, make sure you head to Chocolate Unwrapped, a show dedicated only to chocolate!! It’s at the Mayfair and some of my favourite chocolatiers like Melt, Rococo and Hotel Chocolat will be exhibiting and there will also be an exhibition of chocolate sculptures apparently. If they’re anything like the ones below, I think it’ll make for a really nice day out!!!

Graduation cap chocolate candy – genius idea!

Totally unrelated to interior design, I know, and it’s been quite a while since I graduated, but I couldn’t resist doing a post on these graduation cap-shaped chocolate candies by Bakerella. What a novel idea… some people are  just so creative… it would  never ever have crossed my mind to make something like this and actually it’s so so simple.

So if you have a son, daughter, niece, nephew etc. who’s graduating and you can’t afford to buy them a car, here are some simple instructions on how to make the next best thing!