This fun dessert created for my daughter's birthday last weekend could serve double duty as an excellent Easter or Passover dessert. My little girl has been dreaming up every kind of birthday cake she could think of for her 4th birthday. I knew however, that for all the long hours of baking and assembling I would do, she would just lick off the buttercream, pick the fruit out, and not even touch the cake. So to make up for the lack of a big cake and all of the birthday dreaming she had been doing, I decided to make these fun homemade chocolate cups filled with whipped cream and berries, a desert perfectly crafted for her.
The cups are made by dipping small blown up balloons in melted chocolate ( I used those tiny water balloons). You can either dip them in straight like I did with the first batch, or dip them in on a diagonal repeatedly to make a tulip shape like the second batch. You can melt your chocolate by chopping it and setting it in a bowl set over simmering water. If you want to learn how to melt your chocolate so that it has a glossy finish check out this video on tempering chocolate. This project is a little messy. The first two ballons popped a few seconds after we dipped them exploding chocolate all over us. I have no idea why they popped, but the rest were fine, and it just added to the fun of it all. After dipping, put the balloons in the fridge to chill for 10 minutes, then cut a tiny hole in the top of the balloon, let it deflate and carefully pull out the rest of the balloon.
You can fill the cups with anything you like. I macerated some blackberries and raspberries with a little sugar, and made some flavored whipped cream by blending lemon verbena (one of my favorite herbs) with some sugar and them whipping it into the cream. Mint, vanilla bean, cinnamon, mashed berries, orange zest, even a little thick yogurt and honey would all make delicious additions to whipped cream. This is a desert to have fun with....somewhat remeniscent of easter eggs, and a flourless treat perfect for passover.
A glimpse at the rest of the birthday party:
Quiche for the grown folks
Fancy decorate cookies my girl had been scoping out in a cookbook for months
and fresh popcorn, a favorite family snack.
apple slices with cinnamon & tea sandwiches
veggie kebabs and a fun paper doll project (or paper ninjas)
Yes, we covered these lovely treats with gaudy paper umbrellas, and she loved it!
What fun holiday or b-day foods you are making?
Happy Passover or Easter to those of you who celebrate!
This post got the most amazing number of comments on facebook. people went crazy for these cute chocolate cups. They really were easy to make, and such a special treat for everyone, it's worth giving it a try for a special occasion! My daughter has not stopped talking about them, a whole month later, and people have stopped me on the street to mention them... I guess chocolate will do that to some people...
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