Pampered Chef's Showstoppers: A Failed Attempt at Chocolate Bowls

[HJPChef]

I am fairly new at the PC business and I have my second show coming up next weekend. I tried making the chocolate bowls (from PC's showstoppers) today and I failed, badly! I consider myself pretty good in the kitchen, but this was very disappointing. After dipping the balloons in chocolate, and letting them harden, it was the end result that went downhill. When I pierced the balloons and tried to remove them was when I had so much trouble. The balloons literally stuck to the chocolate (and they had been in the refrigerator for 15 minutes). When I did remove one balloon, a layer of latex was still on the chocolate. Has anyone tried this before and if so, can you give me some tips. I would love to do something impressive that guests will remember and talk about with other possible hosts.

Thanks so much!

 

[rwesterpchef]

Do a search and type in "chocolate and balloon" (no need for the quotes). There are a couple of good threads about the balloon experience and do's & dont's.

 

[Admin Greg]

Hi there! Don't worry, we've all had our fair share of kitchen fails. The chocolate bowls can be tricky, but don't give up just yet! Here are a few tips that might help:1. Make sure your chocolate is completely melted and smooth before dipping the balloons. Any lumps or chunks can cause the balloons to stick to the chocolate.2. Use a good quality chocolate, preferably one with a high cocoa butter content. This will make the chocolate easier to work with and less likely to stick to the balloons.3. Let the chocolate-covered balloons harden at room temperature instead of in the fridge. This will prevent condensation from forming on the chocolate and causing it to stick to the balloons.4. When removing the balloons, try gently twisting and pulling them instead of just popping them. This can help loosen the balloon from the chocolate.5. If all else fails, you can try using plastic wrap instead of balloons. Just wrap the plastic wrap around a bowl and dip it in the melted chocolate. Once it hardens, you can easily peel off the plastic wrap to reveal a chocolate bowl.Don't be discouraged, practice makes perfect! Good luck with your show and I hope your guests will be impressed with your chocolate bowls. Happy cooking!