Make Chocolate Cups

Chocolate cups are an elegant and delicious way of holding ice cream, fruit and other tasty treats. Though they may seem gourmet, chocolate cups are actually quite easy to make at home. Make chocolate cups for your next party and fill them with whatever sweets you enjoy for an easy but memorable after dinner treat.

Ingredients

  • 12 oz (1.5 cups) semi-sweet or dark chocolate in chip or bar form (yields 10 cups)

Steps

Melting the Chocolate

  1. Chop your chocolate. If you are using a bar or a large piece of chocolate, chop it roughly into small pieces about one inch long. Breaking the chocolate into small pieces helps it to melt faster and more evenly.[1]
  2. Microwave the chocolate for 30 seconds. Place the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and cook on high in the microwave for 30 seconds. Since chocolate can scald easily, make sure not to put it in for more than 30 seconds. You can remove the chocolate after about 15seconds, stir it and place it back.This way you will get an idea as to how much longer it needs to be melted.[2]
    • If you don’t have a microwave, use a double boiler to melt the chocolate. Fill the bottom of the double boiler with water until it is about ½ inch from the top pan. Then put the chocolate in the top pan and place the double boiler on low heat. Stir continuously until the chocolate is melted.[3]
  3. Stir the chocolate. Take the chocolate out of the microwave and stir it using a spoon. Doing this ensures that the chocolate will cook evenly and won’t scald. You can also add just a spoon of milk to it.[2]
  4. Microwave and stir the chocolate until smooth. Repeat the process of microwaving the chocolate for 30 seconds, then stirring. Particularly stir the unmelted chunks of chocolate into the rest of the mixture. Keep doing this until the chocolate is smooth.[2]
    • Do not microwave the chocolate after it becomes smooth or else it will burn.

Forming the Chocolate Cups

  1. Spoon one tablespoon of chocolate into cupcake liners. Right after the chocolate has finished heating, drop a tablespoon into 10 cupcake liners. The chocolate has to be warm for it to spread, so don’t wait between melting the chocolate and making the cups.[1]
  2. Spread the chocolate using a brush. After pouring the chocolate, use a pastry brush or other small brush to coat the bottom and sides of the inside of the cupcake liner with chocolate.[1]
    • Try to evenly distribute the chocolate around the liner so that the cup has an even thickness.
  3. Freeze the cups for 30 minutes. After spreading the chocolate, put the cups immediately in the freezer and leave them there for 30 minutes. This will allow the chocolate to firm.[1]
  4. Melt the chocolate again. Melt the leftover chocolate by microwaving and stirring every fifteen seconds. Since the chocolate has already been melted, it will take less time to get warm again. Stop when the chocolate is warm and easily stirred.[1]
  5. Repeat the same process again to make another coat. Spoon another tablespoon of chocolate into the chocolate cups and spread it to form another layer. Making another layer ensures that the chocolate cups are the right thickness and won't be too brittle.
  6. Freeze for one hour. Put the cupcake liners in the freezer to let the second layer harden. Keep the chocolate cups in the freezer for at least one hour so they can get completely hard.[1]

Serving the Chocolate Cups

  1. Remove the cupcake liners. After the chocolate cups have frozen, peel off the cupcake liner from around them. This leaves you with a perfect chocolate cup!
    • Do this slowly and gently so as to not break the thin chocolate.
  2. Fill the cups with your preferred filling. If you wish, create or buy a tasty filling to put inside your cups. You can also just enjoy the cup on its own as a thin and crunchy chocolate treat. [4]
    • If you cook something like a mousse to put in the chocolate cups, wait until it’s cool before spooning it inside. If you pour something hot into the cup, the chocolate will melt.
  3. Serve immediately. After you have filled your cup with your filling, serve it or put the filled cup in the refrigerator. Even in cooler climates, chocolate can soften quickly, so don’t delay in serving. [4]
  4. Refrigerate unused cups. Immediately refrigerate any unused cups, as these will begin to melt or soften quickly and may not keep their shape even if frozen later.[1]

Tips

  • Use white chocolate or flavored chocolate for a different taste.
  • Adjust the recipe as needed if you need more cups.

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/chocolate-cups-with-chocolate-mousse-760
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 https://food52.com/blog/9689-how-to-temper-chocolate-in-the-microwave
  3. ↑ http://www.bhg.com/recipes/desserts/chocolate/chocolate-melt-dip-or-drizzle/#page=0
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 https://snapguide.com/guides/make-chocolate-cupcake-cups/
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