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1
Melt and temper the chocolate (see pages 2530).
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2
Pour the chocolate into a paper pastry cone and cut off a 1/2-inch opening at the pointed end.
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3
Or pour the chocolate into a plastic squeeze bottle.
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4
Pipe or squeeze chocolate into the cavities of a mold with eighteen 1-inch-wide hearts.
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5
With a flexible-blade spatula, clean around the edges of each cavity, if necessary.
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6
Tap the mold on a countertop a few times to eliminate air pockets.
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7
Place the mold on a flat surface in the freezer for 15 minutes.
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8
Remove the mold from the freezer and turn it upside down over a piece of parchment or waxed paper.
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9
Hold the mold by opposite corners and gently twist it in opposite directions.
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10
The chocolate hearts should drop out of the mold.
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11
If they dont drop out easily, return the mold to the freezer for another 15 minutes and try again.
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12
Wrap each chocolate heart in a square of red foil or delicately place a half sheet of edible gold leaf onto each heart.
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13
Use a thin sable brush to fit the gold leaf around the heart.
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14
Avoid touching the gold leaf; it will stick to your hands.
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15
In a tightly covered container, the chocolate hearts will keep for 1 week at room temperature; if the container is wrapped in several layers of aluminum foil, the hearts will keep for 1 month in the refrigerator or 2 months in the freezer.
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16
The edible gold leaf will dissolve if exposed to too much moist or humid air.
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17
The chocolate hearts taste best at room temperature.
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18
3 tablespoons of any lightly toasted, finely ground nuts can be blended into the chocolate before molding.
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19
Substitute white chocolate or milk chocolate for the bittersweet chocolate.
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20
Any shapes can be used for solid molding.
