How to make chocolate dessert cups

How many times have you ordered a dessert in a fancy restaurant and received it neatly tucked inside of a ring of chocolate? Chocolate is not only a great ingredient when it comes to flavor, but it’s great to work with when it comes to presentation, as well. One of the easiest things you can do with chocolate is make a chocolate cup, in which you can serve mousse, ice cream, cupcakes or just about any other small dessert.

All you need to get started is some melted chocolate. Just about any kind of chocolate will work, from white to dark. I find that darker chocolates, chocolate chips and bittersweet chocolates tend to stay a little bit firmer when it comes to serving, so I prefer to stick with those. Just take the melted chocolate and brush it (using a clean paint or pastry brush) into a paper or silicone muffin cup, then slide the cups into the fridge to firm up. Make a fairly thick layer that will hold its shape when you go to peel off the paper. Most papers will come off easily, but if you’re planning to do this frequently, silicone muffin cups are nonstick and great for working with chocolate. Once unmolded, the cups can be filled and served.