Curling Cigarettes

A favourite decoration for ice creams and cakes, mousses and tarts, the two-toned cigarettes, shown here, will add even greater panache to your finished dish. Use plain and white chocolate - both melted and tempered - and work on a firm surface such as a piece of marble.

1. Spread a strip of white chocolate. The width of the strip will be the eventual height of the cigarettes, so keep the edges even. Drag indented lines along the strip with a toothed scraper.

   

2. Melt dark chocolate while you allow the white chocolate to set. Spread dark chocolate in an even strip over the white layer. Spread it gently to avoid blending the two chocolates.

   

3. Leave the chocolate to set, chilling it if necessary. Take a wide, flat blade and place it roughly 2 cm from a narrow edge of the strip. Facing this edge, scrape the chocolate off the marble using firm, even pressure and working slowly to form tight curls.