Make a Chocolate Portrait




A love of art can be combined with a love of chocolate to create a striking, whimsical and delicious portrait. With just a photograph, a computer, and a few shades of chocolate, you can depict a person's face in one of the most delicious mediums in the world. Chocolate portraits make lovely gifts for friends, or, if you're feeling rather peckish, you can make one for yourself to nibble on for a few days.

Ingredients

An 8 1/2" x 11" piece of work needs about:

  • 200g White Chocolate
  • 150g Milk Chocolate
  • 200g Dark Chocolate
  • Greaseproof paper
  • Cardboard
  • Piping bag

Steps

  1. Find or take a photograph of the face you wish to make a portrait of. Upload or scan it into a computer and use imaging software to change it from colour to black and white. (If you have Photoshop, convert to black and white then save as a 4 color gif, which will provide a "posterized" effect.) Adjust the brightness and contrast until you have three distinct tones. If the picture turns out too complex at this point, find or take a simpler one for your personal skill level.
  2. Trace the image on grease proof paper (such as wax paper), outlining each of the three colours. After doing this, put a piece of strong cardboard of the same size behind the paper and tape the image onto it, so that the chocolate doesn't flop and slide everywhere later.
  3. Melt the white chocolate. The best way to do this is by using a double boiler. A small pan containing the chocolate is placed in a larger pan with boiling water, and the chocolate is stirred constantly until it melts. Putting it in the microwave doesn't give the chocolate the nice smooth texture that you'll need to make the portrait.

    A double boiler with dark chocolate is shown for demonstration purposes.
  4. Pour the melted chocolate in a piping bag and start working on the lightest colour of the portrait, using the outlines you drew as a guide. Once the white chocolate has been painted, place the portrait in the fridge to cool and harden.
  5. Repeat the previous two steps with the milk and dark chocolate until you have filled in all of the page.
  6. Turn the picture upside down. To avoid touching, melting or breaking the chocolate, place a piece of cardboard on top of the portrait. (You should now have the portrait sandwiched between two pieces of cardboard.) Hold the cardboard together firmly at the edges and flip the portrait. Detach the cardboard from behind the portrait and peel off the greaseproof paper. Place the piece of cardboard back on, flip the whole thing right side up again, and there you have it, a custom chocolate portrait!



Tips

  • Don't hold or touch the portrait with your hands for any longer than you have to, or else the chocolate may start to melt.
  • Don't lick the chocolate portrait while it is wet!
  • Let the chocolate cool for a bit before you put it in the piping bag. You don’t want to burn your fingers!
  • Since pictures vary in size and complexity, you'll need to make more or less chocolate depending on your personal project.

Warnings

  • Chocolate can scald, so if young children are helping, be very careful.
  • Chocolate may be tasty, but don't eat your portrait. After all the work you've put into it, it would be better to just go and eat a chocolate bar if you are really craving chocolate.

Things You'll Need

  • A Computer
  • Greaseproof Paper
  • 2 sheets of cardboard, the same size as the paper
  • Chocolate
  • Card
  • Piping Bag (a circle nozzle)
  • Double boiler pots
  • Stove
  • A Picture

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