Tuesday Thyme: Chocolate Bowls

Our friends invited us over for dinner and asked me to bring dessert. It was the perfect time to put extra effort into dessert since I didn't have to worry about the rest of the meal. Dinner was delicious and Alex had so much fun playing with Lucy and Jack.

 

I have been wanting to try these since I first saw them. I always thought they were beyond me. Luckily, these are some of the easiest things to make! And they are fun, too. Cooking with balloons is awesome! It was hard to find water balloons in the middle of the winter in Ithaca; I can't imagine why. I read a few different ways of making these and so I tried multiple ways and I will just pass along what I found to work the best. It took me about an hour from start to finish: including prep, letting the chocolate set up, and cutting the strawberries! Impressive presentation. Totally worth it. I will be making these again!

Chocolate Bowls
serves 10
Prep time: 1 hour

10 oz. dark chocolate
10 water balloons
Whatever you want to serve in the bowls

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Finely chop 5 oz. of the chocolate.
3. Blow up water balloons. Inflate to the size you want the bowls to be.
4. Place a heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water (do not let the water touch the bottom of the bowl).
5. Melt the chocolate until smooth.
6. Chop remaining half of chocolate.
7. Remove bowl from heat and add remaining chocolate. Stir until smooth.
8. Dip the balloon into the chocolate, rotating until covered to the height you want for the bowls.
9. Place on parchment paper. Hold upright until balloon stands on its own.
10. Place in a cool place (or refrigerator) until set.
11. Pop balloon and remove from chocolate bowl.
12. Add desired filling.
13. Drizzle with remaining melted chocolate.