www.cdhm.org February 2010 CDHM Featured Category on Chocolates

CDHM category feature, Chocolate Cakes in 1/12 scale By IGMA Fellow Betsy Niederer Maloney's favorite creation is a Belgian chocolate Charlotte Cake while Ana's choice is a chocolate prep table covered in everything from a tower of chocolate drenched profiteroles to a gooey iced chocolate cake, one slice cut from a corner of the pan. Skulteti's is a "simple cake" that is simple only to her definition.

"I like the simple chocolate cake: cocoa flavored sponge cake filled and covered with chocolate cream and decorated with a chocolate rose (you can use milk chocolate cream to fill, bitter to cover and decorate it with a white chocolate rose). But I really like the "difficult-to-make" several-tier cakes with different chocolate types and decorations.

"My latest creation is a three-tier cake covered with blue marzipan. It contains three partially open boxes on top of each other. The sponge is a cocoa flavored one and chocolate cream, chocolate stars and bonbons pour from the open boxes. It is decorated with chocolate roses and ribbons," said Skulteti.

Stupca's and Niederer both prefer the complex approach, making their own fancy boxes filled with different chocolates.

"My favorite minis are the chocolate boxes because I make both the boxes and the chocolates. I love using vintage images and different box shapes, then making the little sweets that go in them. You can get really creative. I recently made a purse-shaped candy container from charms. I make all of my own boxes - I love playing in Paintshop and design all of them myself," said Niederer.

"I like to make my own mini heart boxes and have even made my own cutsie baskets and such. I do love to buy ceramic plates, bowls, mugs, etc. to put things in," said Stupca.

CDHM category feature, Chocolate Candies By Sarah Maloney, IGMA Artisan in dollhouse miniatures "I decorate tins with colored paper and doilies and I use Illustrator to make little boxes," said Maloney.

"Some containers I like to do in cardboard, but other metal ones I buy online and then paint or decorate myself," Ana agreed.

And when working with mini chocolates all day, who wouldn't get a little hungry?

"I do sometimes eat little candies while I am working. It seems like it helps me focus. I really don't have just one favorite chocolate. I love the grocery/drug store brands like Dove or Hershey Bliss (ONLY Bliss, as I absolutely detest regular Hershey's) but I also like the good stuff from a chocolatier. I've been eating Esther Price filled candy ever since I was a kid and really love it!" said Stupca.

CDHM category feature, Chocolate Cake By Tiny Delights By Ana in dollhouse miniatures "I don't get hungry when I'm sculpting but I do when I photograph the finished work, then I have to go eat some chocolate. Usually dark chocolate is my favorite, a good dark chocolate of 70% cocoa," said Ana.

Niederer also likes the dark side of sweet.

"Ghirardelli® bittersweet chips... I eat them right out of the bag..." she said.

Maloney's sweet of choice is the decadent Godiva® brand of chocolates while Skulteti prefers her chocolates with a bit more bite.

"I am always hungry when I make miniature sweets. There is a Hungarian children's cartoon about a little girl named PomPom. She has a friend, Arthur Ball, who is actually a big fat blue crow and is a chocoholic. He likes round chocolate, square chocolate, nut filled chocolate, milk chocolate, bitter chocolate, every type of chocolate that exists on the Earth. I am a bit the same, but if I can tell only one type, my choice would be the Hungarian "Konyakmeggy" (Cherry Brandy), which is bitter chocolate filled with a sour cherry preserved in the finest brandy," said Skulteti.

Miniature or bite-size, it's all good. Check out the CDHM Galleries and see for yourself!