Sunday Samplings

Store bought Goes Glam
By Jane Jarrell


Need some simple secrets for styling with store-bought items? The taste is sensational, but the time spent in preparation is minimal. The keys to success with this fast and fancy dessert are doable: create your own chocolate cake topper ideas and add it to a cake someone else made. Come up with your own designer name for your culinary treat, and always serve on an interesting cake plate or platter.

Here’s how:

Order a three layer cake from your favorite bakery. Have the cake iced in your favorite color, just the icing, and no borders or flowered top. Plain Jane is the order of the day here. Purchase a couple of packages of chocolate morsels for making hearts. YOU add the “wow factor” with your own creative style.

Chocolate hearts


White morsels - Microwave 2 cups (16 oz) morsels in small, microwave-safe bowl on medium-high (70% power) for 1 minute; stir. Then microwave at additional 10 to 20 second intervals if needed, stirring until smooth.

Semi-sweet morsels - Microwave 2 cups (16 oz) morsels in a small microwave-safe bowl on high (100% power) for 1 minute; stir. Then microwave at additional 10 to 20 second intervals if needed, stirring until smooth.

Place a sheet of wax paper on a cookie sheet. Pour the melted chocolate on the wax paper. Using the back of a tablespoon smooth the melted chocolate to a ¼ inch thickness. Place in the refrigerator until the chocolate is almost firm. When the chocolate is firm cut out heart shapes with various sizes of heart cookie cutters. (If the chocolate has set to long warm the cookie cutters by placing the cut side into warm water; wipe off the water and cut.)

Place your chocolate heart shapes on a clean sheet of wax paper. Decorate the perimeter of the hearts with thick white icing. When the icing is dry gently press the pointed ends of the hearts into the store-bought cake.