Description
I love the idea of using these edible place cards at a Seder—and the topping options are endless. Have fun with them!
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 3–5 sheets matzah, broken into pieces that are approximately 3″ by 5″
- Edible flowers, pressed and dried (or learn to press them yourself using the instructions below)
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 1–3 drops food coloring (I used 2 drops of red to create the light pink hue you see here, but any color works—the general rule of thumb when working with color is to start with very little and work your way up!)
- Parchment-lined baking sheet
- A plastic bag or piping bag
Instructions
- Press your flowers: You can buy edible flowers pre-pressed, but if you want to do it yourself, ideally, you’ll get to it at least two weeks before assembling the place cards in order to ensure that they’re really dry. Use a flower press or lay the fresh blooms flat on one sheet of printer paper with a tiny bit of space between each (so that they don’t get stuck together once dry). Top with a second sheet of paper, then place several heavy books or flat objects on top (you really want some serious weight here!). Return in two weeks—your flowers should be beautifully dry and paper-thin.
- Make and assemble the place cards: Start by breaking and placing your matzah shards onto the lined baking sheet; set aside. (You may find that not every piece breaks evenly…which is why you’ve got a few extra pieces of matzah at your disposal!) Next, crumble just a few of the now-dry flowers between your fingers and collecting the colorful “debris” in a Mason jar or small bowl. Tada! Flower dust. Set these aside as well until ready to use.
- Melt the white chocolate: Place the white chocolate chips into a small, microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 20-second increments for about 1 minute, removing the bowl and stirring after each trip to the microwave. If the chocolate isn’t melted enough and you need to continue microwaving, switch to 10-second increments. (Yes, chocolate can “burn,” and when it does, it gets sort of chalky and is rendered unusable. So keep an eye on your microwave!).
- Color the white chocolate: Add your food coloring to the melted white chocolate, one drop at a time, and mix. Continue adding drops until you’re satisfied with the color.
- Coat and decorate the matzah: Use a spoon to coat about 1/2 to 2/3 of each piece of matzah in colored chocolate. (You’ll want to leave a little “blank” space at the bottom of each card for the names of each guest.) Place on parchment-lined baking sheet, one by one. Before the chocolate dries, sprinkle a small amount of edible flower “dust” on top. Place the baking sheet into the fridge for at least 30 minutes or until firm.
- Melt the semisweet chocolate: Once the coated matzah has hardened, begin melting the semisweet chocolate just as you did the white chocolate (place in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 20-second increments for about 1 minute, removing the bowl and stirring after each trip to the microwave). Spoon the melted chocolate into a piping bag or plastic bag. if using a plastic bag, use scissors to snip a very small hole off of one of the corners. You can always make this hole bigger if you need to.
- Pipe the names of your guests: Remove the matzah from the refrigerator. Using the prepared piping bag, pipe the names carefully into each “blank” space. Some tips here:
– It can be a good idea to practice writing a few names on some leftover parchment paper. This way, you can a feel for how fast/slow the chocolate is moving and how much pressure is required on the piping bag.
– Cursive is encouraged—no matter how dismal your penmanship may be!—because it’s actually the easiest, best way to keep from interrupting the “flow” of chocolate between letters.
– Pipe diagonally, rather than straight across the “place card” section, to give yourself more room for longer names. - Refrigerate, use, and/or store: Refrigerate the place cards once again until the piped chocolate is firm, about 30 minutes to 1 hour. Carefully peel each “place card” off of the parchment paper, and (if necessary) use a sharp knife to remove any excess chocolate from the edges (go ahead and eat those scraps!). Store in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to use—you can place a piece of wax or parchment paper between each place card to keep each card safe. When you’re ready, set your table with them! The place cards can be refrigerated for up to a week or frozen for up to three months in an airtight container.