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Chocolate cigarettes are perfect for dessert garnishing and plate embellishments. These would be so elegant all lined up in a fancy chocolate box and given as a gift.
When I first saw this technique, I thought it was super cool. It’s a bit tricky for the home chef, since you have to work with both dark and white simultaneously, and keeping 2 chocolate pots in temper is a balancing act for sure. Perfect case scenario would be to have access to a few tempering machines (with tempered dark and white chocolate). However, you can just try a single color to start.
FYI: This technique might be just a wee bit advanced for someone who has never done any chocolate work.

Chocolate Cigarette #1

Supplies List:

  • You’ll need a cake decorating comb ( find them in the cake decorating supplies section at Michael’s Crafts.com, the Wilton brand makes a few).
  • You can break off some of the plastic teeth, if they’re too close together.
  • You’ll also need large flexible palette knife/spatula.
  • Tempered white and dark chocolate.
  • This technique works best on a marble surface.
Below are 2 Youtube videos by FCIIBP ( obviously a school, but I don’t know much about it, maybe you do?), on how to make a chocolate cigarette. They have several other nice chocolate and pastry videos on their Youtube channel you might want to check out.

The secret is knowing exactly when to start forming the cigarettes after you spread the chocolate. 

TIPS:

  • The chocolate has to be just set; still soft enough to roll the cigarettes, but firm so they hold their shape.
  • Don’t wait too long, and keep testing. Start to test when the chocolate is dry to the touch. Then it’s all in the hand movements. I find pushing chocolate in a quick short motion works best.
  • Notice the angle of the knife is very close to the table/chocolate, more horizontal (about 25 degrees).
  • Take note the chef only rolls about an inch or less of chocolate. 

It takes practice, but it’s so exciting when you get a few good-looking cigarettes. Work quickly before the chocolate hardens to create as many cigarettes as possible. Put them in an air tight container and you have instant chocolate garnishes for any occasion.

I have never tried these with confectionary coating, have you? if you have I would love to hear about it.

Chocolate Cigarette #2

I have also made chocolate cigarettes, by curling and slipping a chocolate transfer sheet into a straw. Big straws work better, it can be difficult getting the transfer sheet into the straw. Also, cutting the straw in half will help (you’ll have 2 cigarettes for each straw).

  1. Cut a narrow chocolate transfer sheet strip, and wiggle it into the straw.
  2. With a chocolate filled pastry bag, squirt some chocolate in the straw.
  3. Refrigerate for 10 minutes, remove transfer from straw, peel off sheet, and Voila!
The #2 technique also works with confectionary coating.
Have you ever made chocolate cigarettes?  do you have any tips to share? Please leave a comment below!

Until next time,

Peace, Love, Chocolate,

Katreece
The Chocolate Addict.com

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NOTE: please understand that I am an academically challenged right-brainer, and forgive any typos, grammatical faux pas, and things that don’t make sense.