This article is for all the creatives out there. Teens, kids, Moms, Abbas, Bubbies- anyone and everyone who love to express their creativity. For all of you who love giving attention to detail, making your presentation beautiful, and going the extra mile to make Passover special, have I got some fun for you.
Plating art! That is, chocolate plating art.
A holiday like Passover deserves some extra effort and thoughtfulness, so I’ve created 16 beautiful and easy plating designs for you to try. I made sure that each design was really simple and quick because each plate, times the amount of guests at your table, can add up to a good amount of time.
To make it even easier, these designs require just 2 ingredients. Cocoa Powder or Chocolate Syrup. Some basic utensils (like spatulas) and accessories (plastic cups) that everyone has around the house are required for some, but no fancy equipment is required for any.
Take a look around, choose some designs you want to replicate over the holiday and have. so. much. fun! I had a blast making these myself! Enjoy!
Chocolate Syrup Plating Designs:
What you’ll need:
Chocolate Syrup
How to:
Squeeze a large circle aside a small circle, and repeat. Hold the plate up on its side and watch the lines drip down. Instant magic!
What you’ll need:
Chocolate Syrup
How to:
Squeeze large and small circles on your plate. Stick to an odd amount of circles for the perfect look.
What you’ll need:
Chocolate Syrup
How to:
This actually starts with the design directly above. All I did was pull and swipe from the center of each circle with a spoon.
What you’ll need:
Chocolate Syrup
How to:
Gently drizzle the syrup all over your plate in a circular and zigzag motion.
What you’ll need:
Chocolate Syrup
How to:
Start by making 2 lines, each forming a “smile”, one beneath the other. Starting at the top, form another “smile”, going down through the original 2 lines.
What you’ll need:
Chocolate Syrup
How to:
Start with a large circle of syrup, followed by more dots of all sizes forming a curved motion. For the smaller circles I used a toothpick and dipped it into a bowl of syrup and then onto the plate. This was by far the most time consuming design. I would only recommend this for a 2-4 person crowd. Be sure not to make the dots too close together or they’ll start to connect.
What you’ll need:
Chocolate Syrup
How to:
This was the easiest design to make. Simply squeeze the syrup in a zigzag motion.
What you’ll need:
Chocolate Syrup
How to:
This design is a continuation of the previous design. Once you have a large zigzag design on your plate, take a wet paper towel and run your finger through the center of it. Clean off one half and voila!
What you’ll need:
Chocolate Syrup
How to:
Squeeze 3 large dots side by side. Using a spoon, start in the center and pull outwards, alternating directions for each circle.
Cocoa Powder Plating Designs:
For the cocoa powder designs, I suggest working over a large pan. This will contain the mess. You’ll thank me later.
What you’ll need:
Cocoa Powder
How to:
Place 5 shot cups around your plate. Using a mesh sieve, sprinkle the cocoa powder around each cup. Remove each cup carefully.
What you’ll need:
Spatula
Cocoa powder
How to:
Place your spatula firmly on your plate. Carefully sprinkle the cocoa powder over the lines, trying not to get too much on the plate. Very carefully, lift up the spatula. Repeat in two additional places on your plate. With a wet paper towel, clean any cocoa powder that fell, leaving just the line designs.
What you’ll need:
Cocoa Powder
2 mini spoons
How to:
Place the 2 spoons criss-crossed in the center of your plate. Dust with cocoa powder and carefully remove the spoons.
What you’ll need:
3 bowls of different sizes
Cocoa powder
How to:
Place 3 bowls on your plate. They should all be close, but not touch one another. Dust with cocoa powder. Remove the bowls very carefully.
What you’ll need:
2 pieces of paper
Cocoa powder
How to:
Cover your plate with two pieces of paper, leaving just a large corner/pie slice-shape of your plate exposed. Dust just the edges of the paper in the exposed areas with cocoa powder. Carefully remove each paper.
What you’ll need:
Rubber jar opener with a flower design
Cocoa powder
How to:
Place your rubber jar opener in the center of your plate. If there is a small hole anywhere on your opener, then place a small piece of a napkin under it to prevent cocoa powder from going through. Dust the cocoa powder around the edge. Carefully remove the jar opener and napkin.
I recommend using this design over Chol Hamoed because you’ll be using a stencil and tape.
What you’ll need:
Stencil
Cocoa powder
Scotch tape
How to:
Stick two ends of a piece of tape together, forming a loop, and place it on one of the corners of your stencil (be sure not to cover the pattern). Repeat with another piece of tape and stick across from the other piece of tape. These will act like handles to easily pick up the stencil at the end. Place the stencil in the center of your plate, dust with cocoa powder, and carefully remove the stencil.
is this permissible to do on sabbath and yom tov? are you allowed to do this on yom tov/shabbos? not an issur of drawing? the circles and squiggles may not be drawing but the spoons and the stencils are.