How to Make Chocolate Shards
Making big, beautiful chocolate curls to garnish a dessert can be daunting. These Chocolate Shards are super easy to create and make for an elegant, impressive presentation!
Chocolate Shards
Have you tried to use a peeler and a bar of chocolate to make curls? It’s definitely hit or miss. The chocolate melts in your hand. You end up with more crumbs than curls. They aren’t nearly as impressive as you’d imagined. I DO love the Pioneer Woman’s technique. It’s definitely a more reliable method to create big beautiful dark or white chocolate curls.
But in my experience, you need about 4 ounces of chocolate to make 2 ounces of curls. Not ideal considering the cost of a chocolate bar. This recipe for chocolate shards is pretty much foolproof.
Easy Chocolate Garnish: One Ingredient and a Few Simple Steps
- How many recipes have just one ingredient? Well this one does. And it takes an ordinary dessert into the extraordinary realm!
- First, you melt some chocolate. Make sure it’s chopped fine. I like doing this in the microwave, but you must do it gently. Meaning stopping and starting at 30 second increments, stirring until smooth.
- Next, you spread it thinly over a sheet of wax paper, and top it with another sheet of wax paper. Wax paper helps it from not sticking. I have not tested this with parchment paper, but it could work if your parchment has a bit of a sheen making it non-stick.
- The last step is to roll it up, chill for two hours, unroll and, voila, you have chocolate shards! How can you NOT try this??? Watch the video to see how easy this “recipe” is to make.
Check out my Easy Chocolate Mousse Tart that’s featured in these photos. It’s the perfect base for these chocolate shards, along with this Chocolate Velvet Pie and Mocha Chocolate Chip Cookie Icebox Cake! These chocolate shards take and ordinary chocolate dessert and make it extraordinary!! Even the non-crafty like me can bake these garnishes!
Love this recipe? Please consider rating it in the comments below. You can also follow me on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram.
Chocolate Shards
An easy way to add a special touch to your chocolate desserts.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 1 min
- Total Time: 6 minutes
- Yield: 12 (Enough for one large dessert) 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Melting
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped (I recommend a 4 ounce Ghirardelli bar instead of chocolate chips)
Instructions
- Gently melt the chocolate in the microwave, stopping and stirring at 20 second intervals.
- Place a 16-inch sheet of waxed paper on a flat surface. With a small off-set spatula, spread the melted chocolate evenly over the waxed paper, leaving the edges free of chocolate. Top with a second sheet of waxed paper and very gently smooth the top.
- Roll from short side to short side and carefully place the roll on a baking sheet. Chill for 2 hours.
- To make shards, hold onto the short end of the roll and unroll with your other hand. The chocolate should break into pieces. Remove the top sheet of waxed paper and carefully (as so not to melt chocolate) move shards to the top of the dessert or to a container. Keep cool if not using immediately.
Notes
Total time does not include 2 hour chilling time.
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That is really clever! I have to try it. Working with chocolate in tropical weather is no fun. It melts everywhere 🙁
Elegant and easy:@)
This is awesome Liz! I have never tried making my own, the food channel makes it too complicated! This is a creative and great tip thank you so much!
Fantastic! Thank you so much Liz. I have to try this – and love your video!
daunting but they look gorgeous on cakes as deko. I think it’s difficult to make shards in the heat. everything just melt away. However I feel save your post for later. I know I will need your tips when making choco deko. Thanks for the share Liz!
A really cool way to make chocolate shards!
So pretty, Liz! These chocolate shards are just what I need on my chocolate cake! 🙂
I use a knife on my frozen chocolate….this is ingenious!
This is awesome! Thanks so much Liz, I love it!
Are you kidding me? This is something that must be tried. And who doesn’t want these beauties to decorate with?
Agreed! I must try your chocolate shards technique. They simply elevate desserts in a divine fashion =)
Wonderful bake, dear! Anything chocolaty makes me weak…… Have a great week! xoxo
Liz, this looks awesome and makes me look like a pro baker. Woohoo!
I can’t remember the last time I tried to make shards but I knwo it was a disaster. Love this recipe I am so pinning, fool proof! Nice video too!
Hi Liz, it’s amazing how simple this fool-proof technique is, thanks for sharing.
I hope this is the first of many videos and your technique is by far the easiest.
thank you Liz this makes it a whole lot easier..so simple and so fantastic. Thank you xoxo
Aww, thank you, Beverly!! You are the queen of beautiful garnishing!
so cool!!
🍳
Just in time for Valentine’s day! Thanks for the video too, it helps!
★★★★★
So easy. Thanks for the tips 🙂
★★★★★