Here is something I was taught when I was a student in culinary school that I did not see coming. Imagine a painting made entirely out of chocolate! When I say everything, I mean everything! From the image to the easel. To the special paint being used, and the surface that it will lay on for presentation. It's not as difficult as it sounds. There are only a few elements you will need to make sure your cocoa painting is one that you can be proud of!

Here are four main elements needed to ensure your cocoa painting is a success:

• Tempered Chocolate: Dark or semisweet chocolate that has been tempered correctly and shaped that will provide enough space for the desired painting.
• White Modeling Chocolate: White modeling chocolate is the surface that the painting will be painted on. Using white modeling chocolate will allow you to see more clearly what image you attempt to paint.
• Cocoa Powder and Water: Cocoa powder and water are stirred together, forming a paint-like consistency. Scaling of the two is done when comparing the consistency of the mixture, thick enough to hold its position but thin enough to be brushed out that is smooth. This mixture will act as your paint for your cocoa painting. 
• Extra White Modeling Chocolate, (Optional): This is extra to use as decoration for your cocoa painting and can be colored if desired.

In the image above, you'll notice that three cocoa paintings was done correctly. When I was a student and was trained to do this, I found it to be very unique and creative. Only ONE of the three above is mine. Can you guess which one it is?

​Directions

1. Select an image you want to paint. Search for it online and have it printed on white computer paper.
2. Taking the desired amount of white modeling chocolate, run the chocolate through a pasta maker. This will create a frame for your painting. You are to make the white modeling chocolate thin as possible without tearing the chocolate. Run it until it is thin enough to see through without tearing it.
3. Place the thin piece of white chocolate over the image. Begin by mixing water and cocoa powder as directed above, until you have the correct consistency needed. Taking a thin tip pastry brush, begin by dipping the tip into the cocoa powder mixture and trace over the image on top of the white modeling chocolate. Continue doing this until the image you're painting has been completed. Allow the painting to dry.
4. Carefully transfer painting on top of the tempered chocolate cutout as noted in the key elements above. Gently press down onto the surface so it is smooth on the layout. Damping the surface of tempered chocolate with a small amount of water will help seal the painting into place. Allow it to set. An easel can be built by using a heated pairing knife; tracing and cutting out two equal pieces of already set tempered chocolate. The cutout is designed in the shape of a hook, with a straight edge on one side, the bottom, and when it comes up after creating the curve of a hook. 
5. Using tempered chocolate, carefully press and hold both of the long, straight sides together at an angle wide enough to hold your painting in place. Allow the tempered chocolate to set and your easel is firm enough to place and hold your cocoa painting on top.

If you guessed Mt. Fuji, then you are correct! The theme when we did our cocoa paintings was Pacific-Asian and I selected Japan as the country I would represent in my cocoa painting. You'll notice how I kept the surface to lay my painting on is tempered chocolate in the shape of a circle, as instructed by our chef instructor. My easel has a flat base so it stands evenly in position. As it sticks out to hold my painting, you'll also see it's a curved shape, resembling a hook. The thin layer of white modeling chocolate to paint Mt. Fuji. The paint used was made from a mixture of cocoa powder and water. I chose to decorate the edges of my frame with leaves and cherry blossoms made out of white modeling chocolate that I colored. Cherry blossoms bloom in early January, to as late as the month of May in Japan.