3 Make-Ahead Chocolate Decorations for Any Dessert
These three edible chocolate forest decorations — 3D twigs, pine needles, and small leaves — can all be made several days ahead and stored airtight. They use tempered chocolate and modeling chocolate, take about 30–45 minutes total, and work beautifully on any woodland, forest, or nature-themed dessert.
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Choosing the Right Chocolate for Forest Decorations
The most important part of these chocolate forest decor is the chocolate you use. Any type of chocolate can be used, including white, milk or dark. And of the dark variety, you have the option of a basic semi-sweet to the a lot less sweet (I would not go past 70% cacao).
The trick will be how to melt the chocolate smoothly (not burning) and your tempering time may need to be adjusted. Dark chocolate takes a bit longer to melt, and white chocolate burns easily. You could use candy melts for these decorations (which skips the need to temper).
I used Ghirardelli 60% cacao chocolate chips for twigs and pine needles. I like the dark colors and flavor to accompany the blackberry cream in the Forest Floor dessert.
For leaf bits, I recommend some good quality modeling chocolate. I used a basic white modeling chocolate then colored it a bit been with an oil-based colorant. You could also use fondant or gum paste if you don’t care about the taste.
Specialty Supplies for Edible Chocolate Decorations
Edible Luster Dust
A sparkly luster dust adds just enough shimmer to showcase texture and details. I find most molded chocolate to look a bit flat without it. I went more “magical” themed with gold and silver highlights, but you could also find more natural tones.
Edible Petal Dust
A matte dust adds color without shimmer. Great for undertones or just a more natural look to what you are coloring. I use a dark brown for adding shadows and dark washes.
Silicone Pine needle molds
Here are a couple molds I used to get small enough clusters of needles. It can take a while to make a handful on small batch at a time. The more molds you buy, the bigger the batches, the less overall time you spend waiting for chocolate to set.
Silicone Leaf mold
This is a 3D press mol for making rose (and other flower) leaves. Usually you use fondant or gum paste, but modeling chocolate holds up just fine (but does not “dry”).
The Three Edible Forest Elements
3D chocolate twigs
Easy to make 3D twigs using tempered chocolate and ice water.
Chocolate pine needles
Step-by-step process for creating pine need branches using tempered chocolate/candy melts and silicone molds.
Edible hand-shaped small leaves
Directions for making petite little leaves out of modeling chocolate and a petal veining mold.
Several elements require tempered chocolate — if you’re new to tempering, our microwave chocolate tempering guide is the quickest method.
Tips for Displaying Your Chocolate Forest Decorations
These chocolate decorations are included in a Forest Floor dessert, that also has many more elements such as chocolate soil, truffle pinecones, meringue mushrooms, crispy rocks and honey moss cake. You can use these items to build a layered effect. But each can be used in their own way for special decorations
3D Twigs
Provide twisty curves and height. Use the interesting twists and texture as a boarder around a cake, or make little structures like nests, huts, teepees. To add height in your decorations, make them a bit longer and thicker on one end, then stick them direction into your medium (cake, cupcake, mousse).
Chocolate Pine Needles
These are great to add 3D texture to your creations. From woodsy theme to winter holiday magic. They are flat on the bottom, so they lay down well on flat surfaces. They can be a bit heavy, so consider keeping on horizontal flat surfaces or bottom borders (so they won’t slide down).
Small Leaves
These tiny leaves can be sprinkled around or carefully applied. Consider how you want to use them prior to making them so you can arrange for if you want them curled a bit or flat. You can make little wreaths, add as leaves to pre-made sugar flowers, little fresh flowers or candy pearls. They can make cute borders for cupcakes or cakes. Or a single little leaf on top a mini dessert for a touch of whimsy.
