Nothing says Valentine's like Chocolate, Strawberries, and Roses...but what happens when you combine all 3?  You get Chocolate Truffles and Chocolate Covered Strawberries, covered in pretty chocolate petals and shaped to look like bountiful roses that won't wilt and die.

 And while these might look challenging to make...they're really quite easy!!

Here's a quick snapshot video of how we created the petals and wrapped them around cold truffle centers.  (We did this same thing in 2013 around strawberries!  They went viral and were one of our best shared posts...but we weren't YouTube savvy then, lol!  I'm not even sure I had a YouTube account set up at that point.  Anywhooo...)

 The Old School Berries

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 Now that you've seen how to make the chocolate roses, I bet you'd like to know more about the recipes and materials involved, right?

Materials:

• 6 to 12 Chocolate Truffle Centers - your choice of flavor, but needs to be firm consistency.  Use a good quality chocolate for this part.
• Parchment or Wax Paper.
• Red Modeling Chocolate - about 12 ounces.  Recipe below using confectionery coating chocolate in white, colored with red powdered color.
• Rolling Pin.
• Paper Cups (We used Red Tulip Cups for this tutorial).
• Flower Petal Veiner - of ANY style. (We used a generic one in the video).
• Large Petal Cutter - of ANY style. (We used a peony petal in the video.)
• 1 pair of gloves (especially if you have hot hands.)

Recipes:

Chocolate Truffles (Dairy Free)

For bakery production, I prefer to use a non-dairy truffle recipe.  Why?  Ganache that uses heavy cream requires refrigeration.  Refrigeration causes condensation on the chocolate petals, causing them to go gooey and slimy.  I prefer not to refrigerate.  So I use full fat coconut milk instead! 

P.S. Gift With Purchase Promo 2/6/21 to 2/13/21 (or while supplies last).

The Recipe: Dairy Free Chocolate Ganache for Truffles

Modeling chocolate is so much easier to work with than fondant, but can be a little frustrating if you have really hot hands. :)  For best results, handle it as little as possible while working it and modeling it into shape, and don't be afraid to let your pieces cool a little between rolling, shaping, and applying.  And, a quick note on the chocolate type.  Melting chocolate or confectionery coating is the best option for this recipe.  Avoid chips, as chocolate chips are designed to hold their shape and form during baking, which means they won't always melt smoothly and may leave your modeling chocolate a bit grainy.

The Recipe: Modeling Chocolate

Prefer ready made modeling chocolate?  We offer that here.

Wait...did you make modeling chocolate but it didn't turn out right?  I feel your pain!  But, you can fix it.  Ha!  I once had a massive batch where I 

• overheated the chocolate
• tried to fix the hot thick chocolate by adding paramount (more oil)
• then overstirred it in a rush to try and get the oil and chocolate to come back together.

The result?  An oily pool of a mess with granular texture.  BUT I was able to fix it.  Here's how:

I hope you have a chance to make these beauties!  They are stunning show stoppers in any chocolate gift box, for sure.

Side note, modeling chocolate has the consistency of Tootsie Rolls.  One to Three Statement Roses like this would be plenty amongst a box of dipped berries, mounds of truffles, home made chocolate candies, cocoa bombs, and cake truffles.  Most people are going to eat the smaller chocolates first and save the rose for last, choosing instead to view its beauty as long as possible.

Enjoy! - Natalie