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The Best Inclusions and Decorations for Your Chocolate Creations
No Killer, ALL Filler: The Best Inclusions and Decorations for Your Chocolate Creations
You ‘‘eat with your eyes first” as the old adage goes, and this doesn’t just apply to Michelin star restaurants. In the world of chocolate, the phrase couldn’t be more true. The art of chocolatiering lends itself perfectly to the thrill of the spectacle; part of the excitement and wonder of entering a chocolate shop, or browsing through chocolate products online, is the fantastical, the detail, and the eye-catching.
by Michael Rodber
23 June 2023
If you need a little more convincing, all it takes is a peruse through social media to find that it’s the chocolate sculptures, the fancy technique demonstrations, or the colourful chocolate reveals that get the most attention on the platform. Now, we’re not saying you’ll need to construct an accurate-to-scale Eiffel Tower made entirely from chocolate and willpower alone; but keeping in mind a few different techniques to add variety to your chocolates and bars will help you turn heads and fill baskets!
So, with that being said, here are just a few ways you can add some of the wow factor to your next batch of chocolate treats. We’ll cover convenience products, texture ideas, and inclusions for bars, chocolates and truffles – so a little something for everyone!
When it comes to chocolate decorating, cocoa butters are a chocolatier’s best friend! A versatile addition to your decoration tool box, cocoa butters come in several different forms and can used to create a wide variety of effects. You have the likes of Mona Lisa’s (formerly known as IBC) Power Flowers – a concentrated blend of cocoa butter and colouring, that can be used to colour melted chocolate directly. This technique is perfect for getting vibrant, consistent chocolate throughout the whole of the bar, and can be the perfect base for other chocolate decorations. While these can also be made into a liquid for decorative use, for convenience, we’ll look at the sprays, the colour powders and the ready mixed colours.
These forms of colourings unlock a playground of creativity, giving you the scope to spray, flick, paint and pour your way into delicate designs or explosions of colour. Once the cocoa butter is tempered, you can apply the colours directly to a mould or finished chocolate. And with the short time it takes for the butter to set, layering the same colour for intensity, or layer multiple colours for intricate designs. If you’re using an airbrush, we’d recommend our ready-mixed cocoa butters, such as our new Roxy & Rich range, however, if you’re looking to get that perfectly precise shade of purple (or any other colour), then the powder colourings are more than ideal!
No airbrush? No problem! In the modern era of chocolate making, finishing colour is available is spray bottle form – meaning getting that sparkle, shine, and shimmer in various premium colours is easier than ever before – the future is now. These finishes are also available as creative powders, and can be applied directly to mould or chocolate, coloured or standard!
In a recent poll, we asked our Instagram followers if they’d ever used transfer sheets, and to our suprise, we found that 46% of respondees have never had the pleasure!
One of the simplest and most efficient ways to decorate chocolates, transfer and texture sheets add that extra wow factor to your chocolates. Whether it’s bars or chocolates, or even cake decorations, you can apply the sheets directly onto a mould full of tempered chocolate, which will not only leave you with a colourful printed design, but double as a means of efficiently capping your chocolates. Better yet, we also offer custom transfer sheets, meaning you can create your own themed chocolates, or even branded ones!
Texture sheets work in a similar way; and will leave a relief design on your chocolate. Just like a praline, there’s another layer to these sheets – you can pour tempered chocolate directly onto the sheet, leave to set – et voila! You have textured or printed shards that can be sold individually or used as decorations for other chocolate creations.
Looking to add flavours and textures, as well as amazing decorations? Well, inclusions can do both. Mona Lisa’s Crispearls are tiny spheres of toasted biscuit, coated in a range of Callebaut’s signature chocolates, and bring both the crunch and the smooth chocolate sensations. Or perhaps you’re looking for something a little sharper to cut through the lower notes of cocoa and vanilla, that’ll add a certain colour and freshness to your chocolate design. Well, we’ve got just the thing for you. Our freeze-dried raspberry crumble, our blackcurrant powder, or even our strawberry crunch pieces are decorations that not only add to the vibrancy of your chocolate, but can complement and bring out the fruity notes in your chocolates or ganache. These are particularly great for decorating bars and chocolates, but if you’re looking for something a little larger for baked items, read on!
While all the above can be used for cakes and patisserie, we thought we’d include an extra little treat just for the bakers! At Keylink, we love all things chocolate, so we’ll start with some of our favourite cocoa-based inclusions to give you inspiration for when you bake your next batch!
Starting simple, chocolate pencils are a classic when it comes to baking decorations. Thin, rolled shavings of premium chocolate, these are a quick and easy way to achieve a classy finishing touch to your frosting, icing, ice cream and more! For a little more shine and shimmer, why not try chocolate splitters? Also known as Hagelslag, these little pieces of high-quality chocolate are polished through natural means, and when added to cakes, muffins and cookies, give a certain glow that accentuates your extravagant creations. Of course, it’d be rude of us to not give a special mention to a classic, a customer favourite – caramel fudge pieces. These pieces of caramel add a unique texture that is nostalgic for many.
And finally, quite literally the cherry on top, Griottines. Made from the Oblachinska cherry found only in the Balkans, Griottines are world renowned for their secret recipe, soaked in either Cointreau or Kirsch, and are considered as part of the pinnacle of chocolate and baked decoration. Available still with stalk, they can be delicately placed on top of cakes and muffins as is, or can be dipped in chocolate for a different effect. For an earthier, chocolate alternative, try our coffee flavoured chocolate beans!
These are just a few of our favourite inclusions and decorations; we have plenty more for you to discover through our site! Decorating chocolate in your own style one of the most rewarding elements of chocolatiering, so we hope you can use this inspiration to mix, match, and develop your own chocolate creations your way. We love to see what you create with our products, so follow us on social media channels and share them with us!
Michael is a Marketing Executive with a penchant for punk rock, cheese, and indoor bouldering.
His favourite chocolate is Valrhona Tanariva.
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