Sugar Pattern Transfers

I mentioned to Teresa at Pelangi Cake Ingredients Shop (Tmn Winner, Luyang. Tel: 088-225 857) that I wished that her shop could have ready-made chocolate decorations for cakes like those on a birthday cake my friend Yolanda's husband had bought for her from the Shangri-la's Tanjung Aru Resort recently:

Shangri-la's mango cheesecake was very good, but a little too sweet for me.

Teresa immediately whipped out a folder of transparencies with patterns on them made of sugar. She said you just had to melt some dark chocolate and spread it on the sugar transfer and when they are set, cut them into whatever shapes you like. I bought two pieces(RM4.50/US$1.40 each) and this is how they turned out:


These are the sugar pattern transfers (I don't know what else to call them) before.


Put the transparency on a plastic tray and spread the melted dark chocolate all over quickly but with a light hand making sure not to scratch the sugar. Put the choc-coated transparency into the fridge for a couple of minutes to set.


Cut into squares, triangles, other shapes and leave in the fridge until ready to use.

The pattern was quite well transferred onto the chocolate except for areas that I've scratched. I tried using milk chocolate but it melted very fast during cutting so it would be unsuitable for decoration. Also, do not leave the melted choc on the transfers for too long in the fridge because the whole transparency will curl and the hardened choc will crack. I still wish she'd sell the ready-made choc decor. Unless you are a commercial baker, this is quite a bit of work for one cake.