If you’ve been on Instagram the past week, you probably saw that a slew celebrities received a special Valentine’s Day package from Kim Kardashian West.
To celebrate the launch of her limited edition Kimoji Hearts fragrances, KKW sent 150 of her favorite star pals (and even her haters) smashable chocolate hearts created by pastry chef Chris Ford.
Each delicious and oh-so-sweet heart was a replica of one of the perfume bottles in the collection that read BFF, BAE, or RIDE OR DIE in bold red letters.
The package arrived complete with a branded wooden hammer to use to crack open the chocolate heart which revealed sweetheart candies, and of course, a perfume bottle inside.
It took Ford more than a week to create all of the chocolate hearts and required over 1,200 pounds of Cacao Barry chocolate and 100 pounds of sweetheart candies.
Celebrities like Paris Hilton, Chrissy Teigen, and Busy Phillips all took to Instagram to gush over the ingenious press package.
Although the fragrance collection is now sold out, you can still join in on the fun by creating your very own chocolate heart for Valentine’s Day. Here, chef Ford, who is known for his over-the-top inventive desserts, shares exactly how to do it.
WHAT YOU NEED
- Large plastic (polycarbonate) heart mold
- High-quality chocolate such as Valrhona Chocolate or Cacao Barry Dark Chocolate (chopped or in pieces, depending on how you purchase)
- Confections of choice to fill the heart
METHOD
- Put the chocolate in the microwave and melt on high (in between 114 to 118° F.) in 20 to 30-second bursts stirring gently until it is melted and glossy. You may even need to microwave in five-second bursts towards the end. The goal is to hit the temperature “sweet spot” and not burn or overheat the chocolate. This range is different for milk and white chocolate. Milk chocolate should be melted to between 108 and 113° F. White chocolate’s range is 105 to 110° F. White can burn very easily so be careful.
- Next, begin “seeding” the melted chocolate by adding the reserved chocolate pieces a bit at a time stirring gently. The seeding and stirring will realign the chocolate crystals into temper. Stir and seed until the temperature of the chocolate is 88 to 89° F and the seeding pieces are fully melted.
- Pour the chocolate into the molds and fill. Immediately turn the mold over and pour the chocolate out. This will create the thin shell of chocolate.
- Leave upside down to fully set for two hours.
- After two hours, the shells should pull from the mold perfectly and you will have two halves of a heart.
- Find the thickest shell half and fill with desired confections or dessert (chocolate mousse would be a great use). Take the other half of the heart and gently warm it face down on a warm (not hot) pan. This will melt the edges slightly, be careful not to go to much.
- Place the melted heart half onto the filled shell evenly and using your finger, run it along the side rubbing the excess chocolate over the seam. Place married heart in the freezer for 40 seconds. This will help the sealing.
- Once chilled, using the warmth of your hand, rub the sides down to create a perfect seam.
- Your heart is complete! At this point, you can use food coloring with white chocolate to paint your heart or pour over with different coating chocolate found at bakery stores.
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