What comes to mind when I say Valentine’s Day? Some people automatically associate Valentine’s Day with pink and red roses and hearts, cupids, and lovebirds. My brain automatically conjures images of chocolates–I love those heavenly goodies, so rich, luscious, and silky.
Today I’m going to meet up with chef Christophe Toury of Voilà Chocolat on the Upper West Side. Christophe has been named one of the 10 Best Pastry Chefs in America by Pastry Art & Design Magazine. He loves working with chocolate because he loves the distinct way chocolate responds to human creativity and ingenuity, almost as if it were alive. I love his passion toward chocolate! So today Christophe will teach us how to make heart-shaped chocolate lollipops for Valentine’s Day!
Here’s what we’ll need:
2 chocolate bars, broken into small pieces
6 heart-shaped chocolate molds
6 lollipop sticks
A variety of toppings
A medium sized ziplock bag
Instructions:
1. Break 2 chocolate bars into small pieces and place in a medium bowl. Put the bowl in a microwave and heat it for 20 seconds. Take it out and stir it to even out the heat. Put it in the microwave for another 20 seconds. Take it out and stir to again even out the heat. Put it in the microwave for another 20 seconds. Take it out and stir continuously until everything is melted and tempered. At this point the chocolate’s temperature should be around 90°F.
2. Use a spatula to scrape the melted chocolate into a ziplock bag and use your fingers to squeeze it to a corner. Use scissors to cut the corner off the bag.
3. Decorate the molds with toppings. Then squeeze the bag from the top down to push the chocolate on to the molds. Fill every mold and then add the lollipop sticks. Transfer the chocolate molds into the fridge for 10 minutes. Your heart shaped lollipops will be ready in just 10 minutes!
Special Thanks to Voilà Chocolat
221 West 79th Street
New York, NY 10022
