chocolate cigarellos/pencils anyone make their own?

[bacon]

Thought I'd have a go, far too expensive to buy the quality ones plus postage. Anyone who has done this?

Interesting - how would you do it?

I have tried this. I used asertate (Not sure if thats the right spelling - transparent paper used for over head projectors) cut to right size. Melted chocolate, spread on the cut up paper and rolled it up, taped it with masking tape and put them in freezer.

They worked ok however quite a few had broken pieces & found its difficult to get tme all the same size. Plus its very fiddly to do - really a 2 person job. I also found you need a lot of chocolate. Tried it once.

Oh I found the thicker you spread the chocolate the better - Mae sure its spread evenly right to the edges as its the edges that break more easily.

I have seen it done, there are probably videos on youtube. You use melted chocolate on a very cold or frozen marble slab and a paint scraper. (or a 'special' tool marketed for the purpose, which is very expensive and looks just like a paint scraper... )

I haven't tried it though, but having made chocolate wraps using a paint scraper and frozen marble slabs, I don't really fancy it tbh....

Squires do a course where you learn how to make these as part of it.

Have given up! tried all differnt ways, different settings but either it folded up or too hard.

Had marble slab too. Almost seems impossible as you-tube shows it to be so easy.

I wanted the tight rolls not curls so doing it with paint stripper was the only option. Obviously I have all the wrong technique so decided to go for flat oblong strips instead. I havent got time to master the technique.

At £14 per box plus p&p I dont think its a good option to buy them. MIL birthday at weekend so using a gateaux recipe with berries and white chocolate.

I have booked up for a chocolate squires course after christmas so well excited to learn all the techniques.