Comments on: The big chocolate blowout: chocolate balloon cups http://blog.kingarthurflour.com/2008/12/23/the-big-chocolate-blowout-chocolate-balloon-cups/ Hot Stuff from King Arthur's Hearth Sat, 13 Mar 2010 04:32:17 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.1 By: Natalie http://blog.kingarthurflour.com/2008/12/23/the-big-chocolate-blowout-chocolate-balloon-cups/#comment-31180 Natalie Sat, 09 Jan 2010 05:36:44 +0000 http://blog.kingarthurflour.com/2008/12/23/the-big-chocolate-blowout-chocolate-balloon-cups/#comment-31180 Hi there! So glad to see your post! I have been making these for years - but I have yet to find the size balloon I want!! You mentioned in a response something about "golf-ball size" balloons. Where on earth do you find them?! The smallest I can find is the water-bomb size - something like 3" diameter. That picture you have of the hand dipping the red balloon - mine are at least twice that size. Any ideas? Thanks so much!! <strong>HI Natalie, I buy the water balloon size, that comes with a little plastic nozzle for your sink, and just don't blow them up very big. With my asthma, I'll lucky to get them that far, I usually have to put the kids to work. :) ~ MaryJane </strong> Hi there! So glad to see your post! I have been making these for years - but I have yet to find the size balloon I want!! You mentioned in a response something about “golf-ball size” balloons. Where on earth do you find them?! The smallest I can find is the water-bomb size - something like 3″ diameter. That picture you have of the hand dipping the red balloon - mine are at least twice that size. Any ideas? Thanks so much!!
HI Natalie,
I buy the water balloon size, that comes with a little plastic nozzle for your sink, and just don’t blow them up very big. With my asthma, I’ll lucky to get them that far, I usually have to put the kids to work. :) ~ MaryJane

]]> By: Claudia http://blog.kingarthurflour.com/2008/12/23/the-big-chocolate-blowout-chocolate-balloon-cups/#comment-20914 Claudia Fri, 25 Sep 2009 13:17:14 +0000 http://blog.kingarthurflour.com/2008/12/23/the-big-chocolate-blowout-chocolate-balloon-cups/#comment-20914 .Now for the reality question...Can you freeze the shells for 30 days. I'm having a party for 100 and want to do these in advance. <strong>Claudia, I have never had chocolate shells freeze off successfully. They tend to shatter during freezing, then "sweat" with condensation upon removal. These can hold for a couple of days at room temperature before serving. So if you could fit that timeline into your preparations, it would be the prefered way to go. Plan on making about 110, just in case. Frank @ KAF.</strong> .Now for the reality question…Can you freeze the shells for 30 days. I’m having a party for 100 and want to do these in advance.

Claudia, I have never had chocolate shells freeze off successfully. They tend to shatter during freezing, then “sweat” with condensation upon removal. These can hold for a couple of days at room temperature before serving. So if you could fit that timeline into your preparations, it would be the prefered way to go. Plan on making about 110, just in case. Frank @ KAF.

]]> By: Queenscook http://blog.kingarthurflour.com/2008/12/23/the-big-chocolate-blowout-chocolate-balloon-cups/#comment-18534 Queenscook Fri, 14 Aug 2009 09:30:32 +0000 http://blog.kingarthurflour.com/2008/12/23/the-big-chocolate-blowout-chocolate-balloon-cups/#comment-18534 Re: The chocolate bag is said to have been invented by Chef Jackie Shen, as stated in a Washington Post article Feb 8, 2006. Not to burst anyone's bubble (or balloon, as the case may be), but I saw this idea in a book entitled "The Joy of Chocolate" by Judith Olney as far back as 1982. The picture had the bag tipped over to the side with applesauce (I think) and lots of fresh fruit looking as though it had spilled out of the bag. It always looked amazing in the book, but I never tried to actually make one. Re: The chocolate bag is said to have been invented by Chef Jackie Shen, as stated in a Washington Post article Feb 8, 2006.

Not to burst anyone’s bubble (or balloon, as the case may be), but I saw this idea in a book entitled “The Joy of Chocolate” by Judith Olney as far back as 1982. The picture had the bag tipped over to the side with applesauce (I think) and lots of fresh fruit looking as though it had spilled out of the bag. It always looked amazing in the book, but I never tried to actually make one.

]]> By: Elaine http://blog.kingarthurflour.com/2008/12/23/the-big-chocolate-blowout-chocolate-balloon-cups/#comment-13412 Elaine Sat, 25 Apr 2009 02:13:53 +0000 http://blog.kingarthurflour.com/2008/12/23/the-big-chocolate-blowout-chocolate-balloon-cups/#comment-13412 Just wanted to jot a quick note to say that I actually made some chocolate cups with MaryJane this week and they came out great and were just as easy as her pictures and blog make them out to be!! I encourage everyone to try all her blog recipes. She is my hero :-) Just wanted to jot a quick note to say that I actually made some chocolate cups with MaryJane this week and they came out great and were just as easy as her pictures and blog make them out to be!! I encourage everyone to try all her blog recipes. She is my hero :-)

]]> By: Rose http://blog.kingarthurflour.com/2008/12/23/the-big-chocolate-blowout-chocolate-balloon-cups/#comment-10954 Rose Fri, 27 Feb 2009 01:05:31 +0000 http://blog.kingarthurflour.com/2008/12/23/the-big-chocolate-blowout-chocolate-balloon-cups/#comment-10954 As balloon artists, all things balloons are definitely of high interest. We've done balloon jewelery, this is a must try and not something we've twisted yet! :) Chocolate and balloons sound like a winner. <strong>You are the 3rd balloon artist posting here. Glad we can cross paths in a new and different way. It would be interesting to cover a twisted balloon with chocolate and see if you could deflate and keep the shapes. Keep in touch about your experiments. ~MaryJane </strong> As balloon artists, all things balloons are definitely of high interest. We’ve done balloon jewelery, this is a must try and not something we’ve twisted yet! :) Chocolate and balloons sound like a winner.

You are the 3rd balloon artist posting here. Glad we can cross paths in a new and different way. It would be interesting to cover a twisted balloon with chocolate and see if you could deflate and keep the shapes. Keep in touch about your experiments. ~MaryJane

]]> By: SKiDDLES the Clown http://blog.kingarthurflour.com/2008/12/23/the-big-chocolate-blowout-chocolate-balloon-cups/#comment-10950 SKiDDLES the Clown Fri, 27 Feb 2009 00:45:04 +0000 http://blog.kingarthurflour.com/2008/12/23/the-big-chocolate-blowout-chocolate-balloon-cups/#comment-10950 I bet that you could use the end of a long skinny balloon to make more of a drinking glass shape! I can't wait to try it! THANKS!! <strong>That sounds sooooo cool! You could make a trifle in the "glass" too. Thanks for sharing! ~ MaryJane</strong> I bet that you could use the end of a long skinny balloon to make more of a drinking glass shape! I can’t wait to try it! THANKS!!
That sounds sooooo cool! You could make a trifle in the “glass” too. Thanks for sharing! ~ MaryJane

]]> By: Balloon Guy Mike http://blog.kingarthurflour.com/2008/12/23/the-big-chocolate-blowout-chocolate-balloon-cups/#comment-10948 Balloon Guy Mike Fri, 27 Feb 2009 00:43:01 +0000 http://blog.kingarthurflour.com/2008/12/23/the-big-chocolate-blowout-chocolate-balloon-cups/#comment-10948 WOW!! and I love playing with balloons.. now I can mix 2 of my favorite things balloons and chocolate. I have actually done this before and took it a step further.. I piped out little handles and then used a drop of icing to attach them to make tea cups, and filled it with a green tea ice cream for a Madd Hatter Tea party.. and if you LOVE to torture yourself use black (or dark) plates and the little paper doilies and sprinkle powdered sugar over the doilies and then carefully remove the paper so you now have a design on the plate for your chocolate bowls (or in my case tea cups) I love this Idea... I should do it more for Tea Parties I host.. THANK YOU WOW!! and I love playing with balloons.. now I can mix 2 of my favorite things balloons and chocolate.

I have actually done this before and took it a step further.. I piped out little handles and then used a drop of icing to attach them to make tea cups, and filled it with a green tea ice cream for a Madd Hatter Tea party..

and if you LOVE to torture yourself use black (or dark) plates and the little paper doilies and sprinkle powdered sugar over the doilies and then carefully remove the paper so you now have a design on the plate for your chocolate bowls (or in my case tea cups)

I love this Idea… I should do it more for Tea Parties I host..
THANK YOU

]]> By: Cathy http://blog.kingarthurflour.com/2008/12/23/the-big-chocolate-blowout-chocolate-balloon-cups/#comment-9028 Cathy Wed, 14 Jan 2009 18:35:03 +0000 http://blog.kingarthurflour.com/2008/12/23/the-big-chocolate-blowout-chocolate-balloon-cups/#comment-9028 I made these for a business dinner, and they were fabulous! Extremely easy, and very elegant looking. The one thing I learned however, was NOT to use balloons with printing on them. The printing came off on the inside of the chocolate bowls. It doesn't hurt anything, but it isn't something I'd want to happen again. <strong>Hi Cathy, Glad to hear you were the hit of the dinner. Thanks for sharing about the writing on the balloons. I'm guessing it would be written backwards in the chocolate too! ~ MaryJane</strong> I made these for a business dinner, and they were fabulous! Extremely easy, and very elegant looking. The one thing I learned however, was NOT to use balloons with printing on them. The printing came off on the inside of the chocolate bowls. It doesn’t hurt anything, but it isn’t something I’d want to happen again.
Hi Cathy,
Glad to hear you were the hit of the dinner. Thanks for sharing about the writing on the balloons. I’m guessing it would be written backwards in the chocolate too! ~ MaryJane

]]> By: lynn@queenofthecastlerecipes.com http://blog.kingarthurflour.com/2008/12/23/the-big-chocolate-blowout-chocolate-balloon-cups/#comment-8640 lynn@queenofthecastlerecipes.com Mon, 05 Jan 2009 06:25:49 +0000 http://blog.kingarthurflour.com/2008/12/23/the-big-chocolate-blowout-chocolate-balloon-cups/#comment-8640 This is the coolest idea ever! I can't wait to try them. Thank you! <strong>Hi Lynn, Glad to see you so excited to try these. I hope you have fun. ~ MaryJane </strong> This is the coolest idea ever! I can’t wait to try them. Thank you!

Hi Lynn,
Glad to see you so excited to try these. I hope you have fun. ~ MaryJane

]]> By: Renske http://blog.kingarthurflour.com/2008/12/23/the-big-chocolate-blowout-chocolate-balloon-cups/#comment-8636 Renske Mon, 05 Jan 2009 01:59:18 +0000 http://blog.kingarthurflour.com/2008/12/23/the-big-chocolate-blowout-chocolate-balloon-cups/#comment-8636 Update: After hours of trying I finally - and with some repairing and cheating with the failed ones - got the hang of it. It is definitely a much better way to let them deflate the way you told, though sometimes it still didn't work in my case. I think one of the problems was that the fridge in which I let a part of the chocolate-balloons cool down, was kind of moist. But I got in the end 5 almost perfect chocolate-cups. We were with 6 adults, so I myself took a failed one and the children got failed ones, because we all knew that they wouldn't eat it anyway! It looked fantastic. I had filled them with self-made citrus-mousse, and also put a self-made cheese-cake with raspberries on the side and red fruit all over the plate. A pity that we didn't make a picture of it, but believe me: it looked great. The good thing about failing with chocolate is that you can just let it melt again and use it again. I was warned for this by the woman from the chocolate shop, but one of the mistakes I made is that I dipped them in slightly too warm chocolate. I discovered like you also advised that the chocolate has to be fluid, but only just, on the brink of being just luke-warm. Next time I won't use normal balloons though, but water-balloons. This was way too much chocolate for each of us. Only my father ate the whole thing, everyone else has to stop eating. I had wanted to use water-balloons for Christmas, but hadn't found them then. Thanks very much for the whole photo-explanation. If you like more recipes explained like that, check out this site: http://www.cookingforengineers.com/ <strong>Thanks for posting. I'm glad you kept trying and got some wonderful treats in the end. It is great that you can melt the 'mistakes' but sometimes it's hard not to eat them first! The larger balloons do make quite a big treat, perfect to share with your sweetie. I find balloons the size of golf balls make nice bite size treats. Your cheesecake idea sounds absolutely fantastic. Could be on our table for Valentine's Day. Thanks for sharing! MaryJane </strong> Update:
After hours of trying I finally - and with some repairing and cheating with the failed ones - got the hang of it. It is definitely a much better way to let them deflate the way you told, though sometimes it still didn’t work in my case. I think one of the problems was that the fridge in which I let a part of the chocolate-balloons cool down, was kind of moist.
But I got in the end 5 almost perfect chocolate-cups. We were with 6 adults, so I myself took a failed one and the children got failed ones, because we all knew that they wouldn’t eat it anyway! It looked fantastic. I had filled them with self-made citrus-mousse, and also put a self-made cheese-cake with raspberries on the side and red fruit all over the plate. A pity that we didn’t make a picture of it, but believe me: it looked great.
The good thing about failing with chocolate is that you can just let it melt again and use it again.
I was warned for this by the woman from the chocolate shop, but one of the mistakes I made is that I dipped them in slightly too warm chocolate. I discovered like you also advised that the chocolate has to be fluid, but only just, on the brink of being just luke-warm.
Next time I won’t use normal balloons though, but water-balloons. This was way too much chocolate for each of us. Only my father ate the whole thing, everyone else has to stop eating. I had wanted to use water-balloons for Christmas, but hadn’t found them then.
Thanks very much for the whole photo-explanation. If you like more recipes explained like that, check out this site: http://www.cookingforengineers.com/

Thanks for posting. I’m glad you kept trying and got some wonderful treats in the end. It is great that you can melt the ‘mistakes’ but sometimes it’s hard not to eat them first!

The larger balloons do make quite a big treat, perfect to share with your sweetie. I find balloons the size of golf balls make nice bite size treats.
Your cheesecake idea sounds absolutely fantastic. Could be on our table for Valentine’s Day. Thanks for sharing! MaryJane

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