Chocolate Cabbage Leaves With Vanilla Ice Cream Food

CHOCOLATE CABBAGE LEAVES WITH VANILLA ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Remove 8 whole outer cabbage leaves.
• Bring a saucepan filled with 2 inches of water to a simmer. Remove from heat. Melt half the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over saucepan, stirring gently with a rubber spatula, until chocolate reaches 118 degrees on a candy thermometer. (Watch the chocolate carefully, since the time it takes for different chocolates to heat and cool can vary.) Remove from heat.
• Add remaining unmelted chocolate to bowl, and stir until chocolate cools to 84 degrees. (Remove any unmelted pieces with spatula.) Return bowl to saucepan, and let stand, stirring, until chocolate registers 88 degrees to 90 degrees.
• Immediately coat outside of 1 cabbage leaf with a thick layer of chocolate using a pastry brush. Drape leaf, chocolate side up, over a small inverted bowl to keep the rounded shape of the leaf. Repeat with remaining leaves and chocolate. Refrigerate leaves on bowls until set, about 30 minutes.
• Gently grasp outer edge of each chocolate leaf with your fingers, and carefully tear off pieces of cabbage. Use kitchen scissors to cut away any tough, thick pieces of cabbage. Arrange chocolate bowls on plates, and fill with scoops of ice cream.

CHOCOLATE LEAVES

Steps:

• Line large baking sheet with foil. Melt chocolate in top of double boiler over simmering water, stirring until smooth and instant-read thermometer inserted into chocolate registers 115°F. Brush chocolate over veined side (underside) of 1 leaf, coating thickly and completely. Arrange chocolate side up on prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining leaves and chocolate, rewarming chocolate if necessary to maintain 115°F temperature. Chill leaves until firm, about 45 minutes. Starting at stem end, carefully pull back green leaf, releasing chocolate leaf; return leaves to same baking sheet. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and keep chilled.) Using small artist brush, carefully brush some leaves with gold dust, if desired.
• *Available at cake and candy supply stores, or by mail from Jane's Cakes and Chocolates at 800-262-7630.

CHOCOLATE LEAVES FOR ORANGE SPICE CAKE

Steps:

• Gently clean leaves using a damp paper towel. Let dry completely on a baking sheet lined with paper towels.
• Heat chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water until almost melted. Remove from heat; stir until smooth. Transfer one-third of the chocolate to a small bowl; tint green. Tint remaining chocolate pale pink.
• Using a pastry brush, generously coat undersides of 20 small leaves with pink chocolate and 10 large leaves with green chocolate. Place leaves, chocolate sides up, on baking sheets lined with parchment. Freeze until firm, about 10 minutes.
• Starting at stem ends, peel leaves from chocolate; discard leaves. Transfer chocolate leaves to baking sheets lined with clean parchment paper; refrigerate until ready to use.