To Make Chocolate Curls

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Rub the underside of a baking sheet with an oiled paper towel, then peel back one piece of paper to expose a square of gold leaf. Don’t dally: It is whisper-thin, so it practically flies away if you breathe on it. Holding the rest of the book in your hand, invert the gold onto the oiled baking sheet and lift off the remaining piece of paper the gold leaf was sandwiched against. (Wrinkles are okay.) Repeat the process with eight more gold squares.

   Step 2

   Next, melt the chocolate and spread it over the gold leaf as thinly and evenly as possible with the offset spatula.

   Step 3

   Now comes the tricky part. The chocolate needs to set to the right consistency. If it isn’t firm enough, it won’t curl; if it’s too firm, it will break into shards (which have their own beauty). Chill the chocolate for about seven minutes before trying a test curl. Brace the baking sheet against the kitchen wall and, holding the putty knife at an angle, scrape the chocolate (and gold leaf) away from you. If it curls, you’ve got it! The correct angle is really just a matter of feel.

   Step 4

   Carefully transfer the curls with the putty knife to a paper towel–padded box and keep them cold until you’re ready to use them.