Create a Chocolate Sculpture!

A good centerpiece is a great conversation starter for any part. So why not add to the discussion by making it yourself out of chocolate!

Here is the equipment you can use to bring your chocolate into form:

Chocolate: I used both white and dark. You could also create contrast using milk and dark, or by dying your white chocolate
Plastic Wrap
A Funnel
A Glass
A double boiler or some contraption that will work as one
Plastic bags
Sketches and patters for your design (Look at the next step)
A sheet tray

First you need an idea of what you are going to do.  This isn't set in stone, and you can change as you go, but it's good to have a starting idea.  I sketched one out, then colored it with sharpies to see what types of chocolate I was using for each piece.

After that I took the shapes I wanted to be shaped perfectly and made myself a pattern for them (things like the flowers or the sticks I felt comfortable doing freehand.)

Put the funnel in the glass to keep it upright.  Add a layer of plastic pushed down inside. Also spread some plastic across the counter for your flat pieces.

Also take your plastic bags and cut a small hole in the tip of each one.

Add water into your boiler (or the bottom of a pan) and place on the heat, adding the top part of the boiler (or a metal bowl) with the white chocolate inside on top. Melt slowly while mixing until it turns silky smooth.

Fill one of the bags with white chocolate and then do your designs with it. I filled the funnel with white chocolate to make a giant flower/bowl, and also did tiny flowers and white chocolate sticks on the flat surface.

Place a layer of plastic on top of your pattern. I put extra plastic to one side because my plan was to slide the pattern over so I could have three exact pillar/swirly thingys.

Melt the milk chocolate the same way you did the white chocolate, and place in a bag as well.

Outline your chocolate pieces, and then either pipe or spoon some chocolate in the center. Smooth it and push all the way to the edges with the back of a spoon.

I also added some milk chocolate to the middle of my big flower.

Once your base plate has hardened, carefully peel off the plastic wrap.  Put a little bit of chocolate in the center of your show plate, and then place the disk on top. I used the side that had been against the plastic as the top, because it was flatter and would be easier to stack other pieces on.

Place the sheet pan on the stovetop, and turn on to low. Melt the side of the chocolate tower, and the base.  This will make them flat. Also, it melts the chocolate to allow it to stick to the base. Put it where you want it and after a few moments you should be able to let go. Do this with all your pieces.

Between melting pieces you are going to want to turn the stove top off, or else you will get the smell of burnt chocolate filling your kitchen.

Remove the flower from the funnel (I found sticking something up the bottom of it helped to remove the flower.) Then peel off the plastic, and using some melted chocolate add it to the top of the towers.

Also glue on whatever extra's you made.

You now have a unique chocolate tower.

Add some sugar to a pan, and just a splash of water to help it start melting. Boil it until it gets a beautiful amber color. Then use a spoon and moving it quickly back and forth you can create sugar strands to add some texture to your tower.

To add a final touch I added some Classic Tuxedo Strawberries as an edge (and that way people can eat and enjoy pieces of your work during the party).

Feel free to change up the design (I would change it if I did it again) and make your own twists on it. And if you ever make one I'd love to hear about!