Here you’ll find instructions for two versions of chocolate decorations for your dessert plate. In the restaurant, we call the swirls “Scooby-doos.” The name dates back to when I first worked with François Payard. He could never remember the word swirl, and so would make a swirling gesture with his index finger and say, “You know, like Scooby-doo.” I use the squares as the top layer for the Strawberry Gelée dessert on page 49. I always use tempered chocolate for décor. You can certainly use plain melted chocolate, but you will need to refrigerate it for the chocolate to set. And it just won’t shine.

　　

Ingredients

5 ounces (142g) bittersweet chocolate (preferably Valrhona Guanaja 70% cacao), tempered (see opposite)

　　

Step 1

Wipe a 12 x 18-inch plastic cutting board with a wet cloth and place a 12 x 18-inch piece of acetate on top (the damp surface will keep the acetate from moving around). Smooth the acetate out completely.

　　

Step 2

Pour the chocolate into the center of the acetate and use a large offset spatula to spread the chocolate into an even layer that covers the acetate completely. Make long, even sweeps with the spatula, from the center out to the sides and corners. When the chocolate starts to set but is not yet hard, follow these instructions to make squares, rectangles, or swirls.

　　

Step 3

To make squares or rectangles: Score the chocolate into 2 1/2-inch squares or 1 1/2 x 3-inch rectangles with the back of a knife (you don’t want to cut through the acetate). Cover the chocolate with a piece of parchment, transfer it to a baking sheet, and weight it with another baking sheet. Leave it overnight for the best shine.

　　

Step 4

To make swirls: Run a cake trowel over the chocolate to create strips. Cut the acetate into 2-inch strips that are about 8 inches long. Before the chocolate sets, lift the strips with the tip of a knife and curl them so they look like opened toilet paper tubes. Set the curls in baguette molds and leave overnight for the best shine. Unwrap the acetate just before using.

　　Reprinted with permission from Dessert Fourplay: Sweet Quartets from a Four-Star Pastry Chef by Johnny Iuzzini and Roy Finamore. Copyright © 2008 by Johnny Iuzzini and Roy Finamore. Published by Crown Publishing. All Rights Reserved.Johnny Iuzzini,, executive pastry chef of the world-renowned Jean Georges restaurant in New York City, won the award for Outstanding Pastry Chef from the James Beard Foundation in 2006. This is his first book.Roy Finamore, a publishing veteran of more than thirty years, has worked with many bestselling cookbook authors. He is the author of three books: One Potato, Two Potato; Tasty, which won a James Beard Foundation award; and Fish Without a Doubt.__