Delicate little huckleberry-sized edible leaves are made out of modeling chocolate that you color, form into pea size balls and then imprint with a leaf vein mold. You can make varying sizes and colors. Even break them up to look more like leaf bits strewn about a natural landscape.
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This is part of the Edible Forest Floor Elements series. Start with the overview → Making Chocolate Forest Decor, or jump to any element: Chocolate Twigs · Chocolate Pine Needles · Small Edible Leaves (you are here) · Highlighting Chocolate Decor.
For the purpose of a Forest Floor dessert, I made them itty bitty and light green to contrast with a lot of chocolate brown going on.
What You Need to Make Edible Leaves
Modeling chocolate tastes better than fondant or gumpaste. It will soften enough to shape when warmed in your hands, and then harden when cooled. It doesn’t really dry out. But if its hot out, it can get quite soft again.
You can also mix in fondant and/or gum paste to provide a firmer finish. It will actually “dry out” at bit to hold up better against heat. But once set, it won’t be pliable again.
You can also use pure fondant instead of modeling chocolate, but the taste just doesn’t compare. If you are using it as a element of a dessert (expecting people to eat it) make sure what you use tastes good.
Using a white base gives you some flexibility with your coloring. However, you can get some pre-colored versions and play around as well.
✓ Food Coloring Gel (optional).
Modeling chocolate can be colored using an oil-based food coloring. I find even blending it with fondant/gum paste the oil-base is best.
Fondant and gum paste (only) works fine with water-based gel food dye.
✓ Food Prep Gloves (optional)
Recommend if you are going to hand color your base, so you don’t stain your fingers.
I use a similar set of leaf molds for a variety of projects, as they allows varying sizes and shapes. These will simply add vein details to any leaf shape you want. There are other leaf molds to consider if you want more uniform look.
Step 1: Clean and Dry Your Silicone Molds
Make sure you have gently washed your silicone mold in warm soapy water and rinsed well. They need to be thoroughly dry.
To help make sure everything is very clean and dry, you can use a cotton swab dipping in a little plain vodka to polish out the inside areas. Or just a dry cotton swab.
Step 2: Set Up Your Prep Station
Set up a clean, dry area where you can have all your items at hand. I like to work over a silicone mat with paper towel at hand and even a damp towel as things can get sticky.
With modeling chocolate, your hands will warm it up but it can get too warm quickly. I find dipping my hands in ice water and quickly drying every so often helps.
Step 3: Warm Up Modeling Chocolate in Your Hands
Modeling Chocolate an be quite stiff at first. It will become pliable as you warm it up with your hands. I start with small pieces so I an more easily warm it up. Cover it with you hands, and then using twist and fold motion to get thing moving. After a bit, it should become very pliable. If it starts to get almost gooey, just set it down to let it cool a bit.
Some fondants and gum pastes need to be kneaded to warm up as well, however they are usually much softer at first.
Once your base is pliable, you can blend (if you want to mix the bases together) or color as desired.
Step 4: Mix in Color to the Modeling Chocolate
If you are using a white base, you can add a bit of colorant (you may want to wear some food prep gloves for this part).
With a pliable base, make a thick oval and put a little divot in the center.
Put a few drops of color and carefully fold the ends to cover the divot. Gently start kneading it together to get the color blended in. Repeat the process if you want more color.
A separate option is to get pre-colored bases. I like to have a white base, but then get small amounts of intensely colored packets to mix in. Less mess involved.
Step 5: Size and Shape a Piece of Modeling Chocolate
For these small leaf bits, pinch out about a petite pea size amount of your base. Roll it into a ball.
Gently press the ball with your finger to create a disc about 1/8 inch thick – that seems thick but you are going to press it more with the mold.
Pink one end to create a tear drop shape
Step 6: Place Shaped Modeling Chocolate onto Mold and Lightly Press
Find a spot in the middle of you leaf mold so a main vein will go through the center of your leaf.
Place the top part of the mold over and gently press down with a bit of rocking motion from the bottom to the tip.
Step 7: Carefully Release the Leaf from the Mold
Carefully remove you leaf from the bottom mold. You may use a chef tweezer, knife or skewer to lift up an edge to release it fully from the mold.
To speed up the process, with a larger mold (and tiny leaves), you lay out several at once.
Step 8: Allow Leaves to Set and Store
Gently set your leaf bits on a lined prep tray. Modeling chocolate will “harden” once they cool down. You can also put them in a refrigerator to speed up that process.
Fondant will dry in a couple hours. Gum paste will dry even faster. It is best to keep the base covered in a plastic bag while working so it doesn’t dry out until after you’ve molded it.
Once “set”, store in an air tight container. You can then add highlights or a dark wash to add more realistic dimension.
