Buddy Valastro's Chocolate Butterflies

Ingredients

Melted chocolate

Yields:

Preparation

Print or draw a butterfly on a piece of paper. Place a sheet of parchment over top of the print. With a parchment pencil filled with melted chocolate, trace the butterfly with chocolate.

To make a parchment pencil:
Make a parchment triangle: Cut a 12-inch square piece of parchment paper diagonally in half, either with scissors or by laying it on a cutting board or work surface and slicing through it with the tip of very sharp knife, to create two triangles. You will use only open triangle; save the other for the next time you need a parchment pencil.

Make a parchment cone: With one hand, hold the triangle in front of you with the point facing down. Use your hand to wrap the paper around itself into a cone, come around twice to use up all the paper.

Tighten the cone: Pinch the wide, opened of the cone with your thumb and forefinger and rub your fingers together repeatedly to tighten the cone. It should still be wide at the open end and tightened into a firm, conical shape.

Fill the cone: Use tablespoon or small rubber spatula to fill the cone about two thirds with butter cream icing or melted chocolate. Hold the cone securely so it doesn’t unravel and the tip doesn’t become wider than you want it.

Close the open end: Roll the open end closed over the butter cream, pressing down to pack the cream tightly all the way to the tip.

Cut the tip: use scissors to snip off the tip of the cone and approximate the effect of a pastry tip. For a plain tip, cut as far up as you need to for the width you desire. For a leaf tip, flatten out the tip by pressing on it and cut a “V” shape.