The Bubble Wrap Hack That Makes A Perfect Chocolate Garnish

If you're whisking, blending, or gently folding your way into any kind of dessert at home, you're already doing enough. At the end of the day, the old maxim that "it's not how it looks, it's how it tastes" rings true as ever, at least when it comes to recreational baking. But sometimes, adding a superfluous — but nonetheless delightful — finishing touch to your dessert can make a sweet treat taste even better. 

Before you go filling your cart with fancy frosting tips and molds from your nearest pastry supply store, take a look around your house. You'd be surprised at the decorating tools lying around in plain sight. Take bubble wrap, which can serve as an unlikely chocolate mold that, when chilled, yields thin sheets of dimpled chocolate that are perfect for decorating cakes, cupcakes, or any other chocolate dessert you have in the oven. Here's how to use the packing product to your confectionary advantage.

Grab some scissors, tape, and a baking sheet

To garnish your next dessert with bubbled chocolate, start by securing a clean piece of — you guessed it — unpopped bubble wrap. Then, cut it into a square or rectangle that will fit inside a baking sheet. You could also cut it into fun shapes, such as hearts, stars, or letters. Fasten the wrap to the baking sheet with double-sided tape and set aside.  

Next, melt your favorite kind of baking chocolate in a double broiler or a heat-safe bowl placed over a pot of simmering water. Let the chocolate cool slightly, pour it over your bubble wrap, spread it into an even layer with an offset spatula, and let it cool in the fridge until it's hard to the touch. Finally, carefully flip the sheet upside-down and peel off the bubble wrap. If all goes well, you'll be left with a hardened chocolate that looks a bit like a sheet of honeycomb. 

Play around with shape

Once you master the basics of using this as a mold for melted chocolate, there's plenty of room for experimentation. You could play around with different thicknesses of bubble wrap, for instance, to create large or small bumps on your chocolate sheet. You could also use multiple kinds of chocolate (such as white, milk, and dark) and create stripes or swirls on the bubble wrap for multi-colored garnishments. 

As for how to use it for decoration, that's entirely up to you. Some bakers like breaking the sheets into shards and using the irregular pieces as fancy little garnishments on their baked goods. If you have some extra time on your hands, though, you could even make a chocolate dome or bowl for your sweet treat. To do so, swap your baking sheet for a bowl that's wider and taller than your dessert's dimensions. Then, cut the wrap into a circle to fit inside it. After spreading the chocolate over the circular wrap, place it in the bowl as neatly as you can (it helps to cut a small triangle at the edge of the circle before pouring the chocolate), let it harden in the fridge, and peel as usual.