Haunted Chocolate Castle

Directions

1. 1
   ["Make the base: Use an 18 to 20-inch diameter bowl that is about 6 inches deep.", "Press a large sheet of tin foil into the side of the bowl.", "This will create a great texture.", "Use a pastry brush dipped in dark chocolate to coat the tin foil.", "Do not press too hard with the brush or you will lose the texture of the aluminum.", "Repeat this step 3 or 4 more times until the chocolate layer is about 3/8-inch thick.", "When the chocolate has set, invert the bowl to release the base from the bowl.", "Carefully peel the tin foil away from the chocolate.", "Set aside.", "Make the rooftops: Make a cone out of a sheet of acetate securing it closed with tape.", "Use a scissor to trim the edge of the cone so the end is straight.", "You will need 1 cone for each castle turret.", "The cones I made were about 9-inches tall and ranged in the opening diameter from 1 to 4 inches.", "Tip: Determine the size of the turrets you will make so you can coordinate cone rooftops that match the size.", "Use a ladle to fill the cone with chocolate.", "When it is full, empty it into the bowl of chocolate.", "The inside of the cone should be evenly coated with chocolate.", "Wipe the edge of the plastic cone clean on the side of the bowl and place it upside down on a wire rack placed over a baking sheet.", "Once the chocolate starts to harden, about 5 minutes, scrape the edge of the cone clean with a paring knife.", "You can place the cone in the refrigerator for several minutes to help the chocolate to harden.", "Repeat 3 more times to make 4 rooftops.", "When the chocolate sets, peel off the acetate.", "Set aside.", "Make the turrets: The tallest turrets of my castle are made with tubes of chocolate, each a different size in diameter.", "Each turret is also made of tubes of 2 different diameters.", "I made 5 turrets plus an extra large turret.", "I call the largest turret the main house.", "It is an irregularly shaped tube but the technique to make it is different from the other turrets.", "To make the main house, roll a long piece of acetate to determine the size of the tube you would like to make.", "Use a marker to mark the place on the acetate that indicates the desired diameter.", "Unroll the acetate and place a piece of parchment at the mark to cover the extra acetate.", "Use an offset spatula to spread a 1/4-inch-thick layer of tempered chocolate over the exposed sheet of acetate.", "Let the chocolate set slightly then roll the open end toward the parchment line.", "When the open end meets the parchment, continue to roll the extra acetate and tape it closed.", "Use a tin can to press this tube into an irregular shape.", "When the chocolate is set, peel off the acetate.", "Use a hot knife to shape the top edge of this piece.", "Use a slow sawing motion.", "If you see smoke, the knife is too hot.", "Dip the end of this piece into the tempered chocolate and adhere it onto the base.", "To make the tall turrets, use the following technique to make chocolate tubes.", "Roll a tube to the desired diameter and secure it closed with tape.", "The turrets on my castle range from 1 to 5 inches in diameter.", "Tape 1 end of the tube closed with tape.", "Set the tube on end and fill with chocolate.", "When it is full, invert the tube over the bowl of chocolate allowing the excess chocolate to flow back into the bowl.", "Let set.", "When the chocolate has set, repeat this step a few more times.", "You want the tubes sturdy so the castle will be strong.", "Allow the chocolate tube to set until hard.", "Remove the acetate.", "The largest tube gets cut into pieces to make the base of some turrets.", "Use a hot knife to cut all of the tubes into unequal sizes.", "To do this, heat the knife under very hot water and wipe it dry.", "Hold the knife blade against the side of the chocolate where you want to make the cut.", "Do not press on the knife or the chocolate will break.", "Allow the heat of the knife to \"cut\"" through the chocolate by melting it.""