I found the inspiration for chocolate "wax" seals in a magazine last year while I was researching wedding cakes. Maybe you remember my plight? I was nervous about making
my first wedding cake so I studied a mountain of books and magazines on the subject
ad nauseum. It was a great learning experience, but I'll never forget the car ride to the reception hall with a triple-tier cake in the back. My heart was in my throat exactly nineteen times (the number of bumps in the road) and I may have shed a tear when we arrived with the cake intact. (I digress.)
I've seen chocolate seals plenty of times on
Sacher tortes and other fancy pastries, but I couldn't find instructions for making them at home. So, I ordered a couple of inexpensive wax stamps - and some
real sealing wax in case things didn't turn out as expected - and experimented with bittersweet chips. I found a neat no-temper method that I think just about anyone could replicate at home.
I used an "H" to indicate the flavor of the cake but plan to get double use since it's my initial, too. The crown imprint turned out well, and even the more intricate bee stamp worked perfectly, which was surprising. Those little bee legs are so delicate!
I made a video to show how easy it is to make your own at home. It simply involves keeping the wax stamps on ice so the chocolate sets fast when the impression is made.