Best 5 Chocolate Sea Shells Recipes

CHOCOLATE SEASHELLS WITH WHITE COFFEE ICE CREAM PEARLS

Steps:

• At least 1 day before serving, start the ice cream: Heat the coffee beans, half-and-half, heavy cream, and vanilla bean in a saucepan over medium heat just to a boil, stirring occasionally to make sure the mixture doesn't burn or stick to the bottom of the pan. Turn off the heat and let cool. Cover and refrigerate overnight to infuse the coffee flavor.
• The next day, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a bowl. Strain the vanilla and coffee beans out of the cream mixture and re-warm it in a heavy saucepan. When the cream mixture reaches a fast simmer (do not let it boil), turn off the heat. In a thin stream, whisk half of the cream mixture into the egg yolk mixture, then pour in the remaining half and whisk well.
• Pour the mixture back into the saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. At 160 degrees F, the mixture will give off a puff of steam. When the mixture reaches 180 degrees it will be thickened and creamy, like eggnog. Test it by dipping a wooden spoon into the mixture. Run your finger down the back of the spoon. If the stripe remains clear, the mixture is ready; if the edges blur, the mixture is not quite thick enough yet. When it is ready, quickly remove it from the heat.
• Pour the cream mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl. Rest the bottom of the bowl in the ice bath. Let the mixture cool for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Then freeze according to the directions of your ice cream machine.
• Chocolate Shells: Cut pieces of aluminum foil large enough to more than cover the back side of each clam shell. Cover the back (outside) of each shell with foil, folding it over the rim to hook it tightly to the shell. Press the foil against the surface, rubbing to smooth it so that it acts as a skin for the shell. Arrange the wrapped shells on a pan, with the wrapped sides facing up. Melt the chocolate. Spoon 1 to 2 tablespoons of chocolate onto the wrapped side of one shell, spreading it with the back of the spoon to cover the shell all the way to the edge. As needed, add more chocolate until the entire back of the shell is well coated with chocolate. Repeat with the remaining shells and chocolate. Refrigerate until set, about 20 to 30 minutes.
• Once the chocolate is set, carefully unhook the foil from all around the rim of the shell. Lift the real shell out of the foil, leaving you with the chocolate-covered foil cups. Place the shells back in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to re-harden. Taking the shells out of the refrigerator one at a time, carefully peel the foil back to reveal the chocolate shell. Repeat with the remaining shells. Store in an airtight container until ready to serve. (The shells can be made up to 1 week in advance.) To serve, pour raw sugar on a platter to look like sand. Place a scoop of ice cream in each clam shell and rest it on the sand. Serve immediately.

BASIC CHOCOLATE SHELL TOPPING

Steps:

• Fill a saucepan with a few inches of water and bring to a bare simmer. Combine the chocolate, coconut oil and sea salt in a medium heatproof bowl and set over the pan (do not let the bowl touch the water). Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is well combined, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Remove the bowl from the pan and let the mixture cool at least 15 minutes before pouring on top of ice cream (or you can dip your ice cream in the mixture instead). Transfer any remaining sauce to an airtight microwave-safe container and refrigerate up to 3 months. To remelt, uncover and microwave in 10-second intervals, stirring, until pourable.

CHOCOLATE SEASCAPE

Steps:

• For the Base: Place a piece of the bubble wrap, bubble side up, on your work surface. Using a large spoon or ladle, randomly drizzle white and bittersweet chocolate onto the plastic. Using an offset spatula, spread the two drizzled chocolates evenly, creating a marbled effect. You can make the base whatever size and shape you'd like it to be, however make sure it is at least 1/4-inch thick. Place in the refrigerator. For the Fish Mold: If you would like your chocolate fish to be painted on the outside, start by mixing together a few tablespoons of the cocoa butter with a small amount of powdered food coloring, making as many colors as you'd like. (Please note: The easiest way to work with chocolate paints is to store them in a yogurt machine to keep them warm.) Using a paintbrush, paint the inside of the mold, applying color wherever you are inspired to do so (eyes, fins, etc.) and let dry. Using a ladle, fill the fish mold or shell with white chocolate. When it is full, empty the excess chocolate back into the bowl. The inside of the mold should be evenly coated with chocolate. Wipe the lip of the mold clean, and place it upside down on a wire rack over a baking sheet. Once the chocolate starts to harden, about 5 minutes, scrape the lip clean again with a paring knife. This is very important because once the chocolate sets, it will shrink or retract from the sides of the mold, and a clean edge will prevent it from sticking and cracking as it shrinks. You can place the mold in the refrigerator for several minutes to help the chocolate to harden. Once the chocolate has hardened, remove it from the mold, glue the two halves together with chocolate and let harden. Repeat with as many fish molds or shells as you like. For the Seaweed and Sea Grass: Make 2 cornets and fill 1 with bittersweet chocolate and the other with white chocolate. Draw some seaweed onto parchment paper using bittersweet chocolate then repeat the same technique with the white chocolate, painting over the bittersweet. Use this same technique to draw sea grass. When the chocolate sets, peel off the parchment paper, and reserve for assembly. For the Coral: Place large ice cubes in a tall, round plastic container. Pour the untempered bittersweet chocolate over the cubes and let set until the cubes have completely melted. Remove the chocolate from the container, drain off, and discard the excess water. For the Final Seascape: Arrange the pieces as you would like on the bubble wrap base and "glue" them down using the melted chocolate. If you place all of the pieces in the refrigerator first, the sculpture will set faster, as the cold chocolate will cause the "glue" to harden and set quickly.
• How to Temper Chocolate(From Dessert Circus, Extraordinary Desserts You Can Make At Home by Jacques Torres): Chocolate is tempered so that after it has been melted, it retains its gloss and hardens again without becoming chalky and white (that happens when the molecules of fat separate and form on top of the chocolate). There are a variety of ways to temper. One of the easiest ways to temper chocolate is to chop it into small pieces and then place it in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time on high power until most of the chocolate is melted. Be very careful not to overheat it. (The temperature of dark chocolate should be between 88 and 90 degrees F, slightly warmer than your bottom lip. It will retain its shape even when mostly melted. White and milk chocolates melt at a temperature approximately 2 degrees F less because of the amount of lactose they contain.) Any remaining lumps will melt in the chocolate's residual heat. Use an immersion blender or whisk to break up the lumps. Usually, chocolate begins to set, or crystallize, along the side of the bowl. As it sets, mix those crystals into the melted chocolate to temper it. A glass bowl retains heat well and keeps the chocolate tempered longer. Another way to temper chocolate is called seeding. In this method, add small pieces of unmelted chocolate to melted chocolate. The amount of unmelted chocolate to be added depends on the temperature of the melted chocolate, but is usually 1/4 of the total amount. It is easiest to use an immersion blender for this, or a whisk. The classic way to temper chocolate is called tabliering. Two thirds of the melted chocolate is poured onto a marble or another cold work surface. The chocolate is spread out and worked with a spatula until its temperature is approximately 81 degrees F. At this stage, it is thick and begins to set. This tempered chocolate is then added to the remaining non-tempered chocolate and mixed thoroughly until the mass has a completely uniform temperature. If the temperature is still too high, part of the chocolate is worked further on the cold surface until the correct temperature is reached. This is a lot of work, requires a lot of room, and makes a big mess. A simple method of checking tempering, is to apply a small quantity of chocolate to a piece of paper or to the point of a knife. If the chocolate has been correctly tempered, it will harden evenly and show a good gloss within a few minutes.
• How to Make a Cornet (From Dessert Circus, Extraordinary Desserts You Can Make At Home by Jacques Torres): The Cornet: A cornet is a small piping bag made from parchment paper. It is usually used to make fine decorations. Cut an 8 by 12 by 14 1/2-inch triangle from a sheet of parchment paper. Hold the middle of the long side of the triangle between two fingers of one hand. Take the tip of the triangle on the short, wide end and roll it toward the other tip of that same end while simultaneously pulling it in an upward motion. The tip of a cone will form where your thumb and finger hold it on the long side. Release your grip from the long side, so that you are now holding the two corners where they meet. The paper will already resemble a partially formed cone. Roll the remaining tail until it is completely rolled into a cone. There will be one point sticking up from the open end. Fold it inside toward the center, and crease the fold. Now you should have a cornet. To close the cornet once it has been filled, fold it away from the seam; this will keep the seam from opening. Use a pair of scissors or a sharp paring knife to cut an opening at the tip of the cornet to the desired size.

INSTANT CHOCOLATE HARD SHELL

Steps:

• Combine chocolate chips and coconut oil in a microwave-safe bowl; heat in microwave in 30-second intervals, mixing well each time, until mixture is smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. It takes about 1 minute of stirring until they fully mix together. Store at room temperature in an air-tight container.

CHOCOLATE SEA SHELLS

Steps:

• Prepare the scallop shells: Wrap each shell tightly in plastic wrap, making certain that the wrap is tight and smooth over the exterior (convex side) of the shell, securing excess wrap on the interior. Set aside.
• Combine white chocolate and 1/2 teaspoon shortening in a medium bowl. Melt mixture gently in a double boiler or a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Remove from heat; set aside.
• Combine the semisweet chocolate and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon shortening in a separate small bowl; melt as above.
• Drizzle 2 tablespoons melted semisweet chocolate into melted white chocolate. Swirl bowl to slightly combine chocolates and to create a swirled effect. Grasping the very edges of the shell, dip the smooth exterior side of the shell into the swirled chocolate. Lift shell out of the chocolate, and tilt to evenly distribute chocolate over surface. Place shell, chocolate side up, on a rimmed baking sheet in the freezer. Repeat with remaining shells and chocolate. Freeze for at least 2 hours.
• When shells are frozen, remove from the freezer. Carefully loosen the plastic wrap from edges of shell. Gently separate the shell from the chocolate. Slowly peel plastic wrap away from chocolate. Return chocolate shells to freezer, and store until ready to use, up to 1 day ahead.