Chocolate Rabbits

The Martha Stewart Show, January 2008

The key to making these Easter treats is tempering the chocolate; this involves stabilizing the chocolate through a melting and cooling process, which makes it malleable and glossy. If the cocoa butter in the chocolate is not stabilized, it will form crystals and create dull gray streaks. You can easily temper chocolate in a microwave oven. Also, you can use plastic molds to form your figures -- they are easy to work with and not as costly as metal molds.

Tools and Materials
Chocolate (amount depends on size of mold)
Microwave oven
Immersion blender
Plastic running rabbit mold
Wire rack
Baking sheet
Paring knife

Chocolate Rabbit How-To
1. Use a serrated knife to chop chocolate into shards. Set about half aside.

2. Melt the remaining shards in the microwave oven; transfer melted chocolate to another vessel to cool.

3. Add the remaining chopped chocolate. Use an immersion blender to break up some of the lumps.

4. Use a thermometer to check the temperature. Stop adding chocolate and blending when chocolate reaches 88 to 90 degrees.

5. Dip a knife into the chocolate to find out if it is tempered; the chocolate is tempered if the portion that remains on the knife becomes shiny and hard within 1 minute.

6. Paint each side of a plastic running rabbit mold with different shades of chocolate to create a two-tone effect.

7. Use a ladle to fill the mold with chocolate; shift the mold to make sure you have covered every area.

8. When the mold is full, pour any excess chocolate back into the bowl.

9. Wipe the edge of the mold.

10. Place the mold upside down on a wire rack placed over a baking sheet.

11. When the chocolate begins to harden, scrape the edge clean with a paring knife.

12. As the chocolate sets, it will shrink and retract from the sides of the mold.

13. Refrigeration can accelerate the hardening process.

14. Unmold the chocolate rabbit.

Plastic molds are available at most crafts stores.


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