1. Chocolate chunks
Using a serrated knife is your best bet when it comes to chopping up a bar of chocolate into chunks and shards. It makes the process easy and effortless. Simply begin at the corner of your bar, pressing the knife’s teeth into it using both hands, one holding the handle and the other putting pressure onto the knife.
Chopping chocolate into fragments is ideal if you need chocolate for melting, or if you want to include them in chocolate chip cookies. Chopped chocolate, each morsel a different shape and size, is even better than using chocolate chips, believe it or not!
2. Grated chocolate
On a cake, hot chocolate or some ice cream, grated chocolate is great as a garnish. A fine grater or microplane is your tool of choice here. But first, refrigerate both your chocolate and your grater for about 15 minutes; this ensures that the chocolate doesn’t melt in your hands while you grate!
3. Chocolate curls
Yes, your trusty vegetable peeler can also help you make pretty chocolate curls! Both a straight peeler and a Y-shaped peeler can work here, so just use whichever you have in your kitchen. Unlike the tip above, cold chocolate here will actually make it difficult to create curls, so keep your chocolate bar at room temperature. Hold the bar in one hand and use the other to press the peeler deep into the chocolate as you slide it down the side of the bar.