TECHNIQUES IN CHOCOLATE

May 23, 2013

We completed assembly of the chocolate centerpiece.  First we started by tempering dark chocolate and assembling the base structure. 

Then we tempered white chocolate and assembled the flower and made leaves.

We then assembled and added the pedestal to the base structure for the flower to attach.

The Chef then sprayed the structure with a chocolate coating to smooth everything out. 

It was then set aside for the coating to dry. 

While waiting we completed other elements for finishing the centerpiece. These pieces were made of white chocolate and colored cocoa butter.

After the coating was dry we attached the flower to the pedestal.

Then the finishing elements were added for completion.

The completed centerpieces were put on display in the window.

TECHNIQUES IN CHOCOLATE

May 22, 2013

We were in the kitchen tempering chocolate today. Now I completely understand why many cannot temper chocolate properly. It was very helpful to have someone who knows what they are doing when it comes to tempering chocolate so they can show you how it is done and tell you how to fix it when it is wrong. Yes, we had to re-temper the white chocolate.  It is definitely a workout for your arms and shoulder blades.

We started off with the design concept for a centerpiece. We brought poster board to cut templates out for the pieces that we would be cutting from the tempered chocolate.  We will be doing a dark chocolate stand with three large wavy thin leaves flowing upward from the stand and a white chocolate flower in the center of the leaves.  This is difficult to explain without seeing a visual but I will take a picture when it is complete.  

Today we made the chocolate stand, leaves, and flower pedals.  Tomorrow we will be tempering more chocolate, completing the remaining pieces, and assembling the centerpiece. 

TECHNIQUES IN CHOCOLATE

May 21, 2013

We reviewed the methods of tempering chocolate again in class (as we will be doing this tomorrow in the kitchen) and then moved on to market forms of chocolate and indicators of quality chocolate. 

The first market form of chocolate that we talked about was unsweetened, bitter and baking chocolate.  The Chef went and got some crushed cocoa nibs and put a nickel size amount in each of our hands.  We were then instructed on the count of three to all put the nibs in our mouths at the same time.  The Chef thought he was quite funny as he faked putting it in his mouth as we did in ours.  At first it tasted a little like bitter chocolate but than as you continued to chew, it became very bitter and not a good taste.  Many of the students ended up spitting them out.  This is why the addition of some sugar is necessary.


We discussed couverture (ku-ver-tuer), which means to cover or coat in French.  It contains a higher percentage of cocoa butter used for molding, praline, candies, showpieces, dipping and coating truffles (yum).



After discussing the different market forms we moved on to indicators of quality chocolate.  These are aroma, appearance, melting point, snap, and taste.  We also discussed storage of chocolate.  The three enemies of chocolate are water, heat, and sunlight.  This is why you see chocolate wrapped in foils as this helps minimize sunlight exposure.  

TECHNIQUES IN CHOCOLATE

May 20, 2013

The first day of chocolate class was awesome! I really like the Chef and his teaching style. I think I am going to enjoy this class.  He has a great sense of humor and has already handed out chocolate for us to nibble on while he taught us.  How great is that? Although this class should be fun, it will definitely be a challenge for sure. We will be doing chocolate confections, a showpiece, frozen desserts and plated desserts along with a molecular gastronomy lab.

This week we are covering tempering chocolate for the entire week.  Apparently this is quite difficult as it is an exact science and most individuals cannot temper chocolate properly.  I can attest to this as I have tried before after reading and watching videos and was unsuccessful at it.   After this course though, I should have it down as we will be doing quite a bit of it for the next 6 weeks.

The purpose of tempering chocolate is that if it is not tempered the fat (cocoa butter) in the chocolate will bloom (a white discoloration on the surface) and the chocolate would feel oily and melt when it is touched.  None of this means the chocolate is bad or tastes bad, it is just less appealing to look at and messy to touch.  The white discoloration on the surface is made up entirely of cocoa butter that has re-solidified in an undesirable crystal form.  It can be fixed by simply re-tempering the chocolate properly.  Well tempered chocolate will have good snap, will retract, and have a permanent shine.

One of the keys to tempering chocolate is to warm the chocolate slowly to the correct melting temperature without going past the appropriate temperature (within 2 degrees). Each of the chocolates (dark, milk, and white) have a different specific melting temperature (118, 106 and 104 respectively) and tempered temperature (89, 86, and 84).  

There are 4 different methods for tempering chocolate (seeding, block, microwave, and table).  We will be learning each of these methods, although microwave is not really considered tempering the chocolate and if you mess it up, you have to temper by one of the other tempering methods. 


We have already been tasks with several challenges for this class. The first is that our chef jackets and aprons are to remain clean without chocolate on them.  Keep in mind these are both white.  I already know that this will be quite difficult based on my experience in the Intro to Baking class and we did not even work with chocolate every day in the kitchen. 

Second, we are not to use the word "heat" with the word "chocolate" in the same sentence.  Heating chocolate is bad, warming is good.  Myself and several others in the class have already broken this rule while asking questions.  Today we were give a pass but I think he said he would be deduct points after today. 


Third, we will be memorizing different formulas and ratios throughout the course.  Today was Ganache, yum.  We are to memorize the following ratios for Ganache: 

Dark Chocolate: 1 part cream - 1 part chocolate

Milk Chocolate: 1 part cream - 2 parts chocolate

White Chocolate: 1 part cream - 3 parts chocolate

If the chocolate ratio is more than the cream, always melt the chocolate first.

Fourth, if you have perfect attendance, you do not have to take the final written exam.  I am all for this one!

BAKING AND PASTRY TECHNIQUES

May 16, 2013

The final day of Intro to Baking and Pastry class has arrived.  We were scheduled to present our plated dessert to the class that we had drawn in our workbooks, review for our final written test, and then take the exam.  

Unfortunately,  we did not put enough water on the floors in the kitchen from the clean yesterday (we are required to pour buckets of water on the floors after scrubbing so that the flour floats on top of the water to the drains) and so we had to take everything back out of the kitchen and re-clean the floors.  

After the cleaning was complete, we presented our plated desserts to the class. We described our dessert and then we were required to walk slowly down the aisle and show off our drawing.  I presented mine in the "Vanna White" fashion with the hand slowly moving under the drawing as I walked down the aisle. This was a good approach as we all laughed and enjoyed. My dessert was a Chocolate Raspberry Torte (a dark chocolate sponge cake with a layer of ganache and a layer of raspberry filling topped with a shiny chocolate glaze, fresh raspberries and a chocolate disk along with a side of raspberry and chocolate sauce).  Below is a picture of my plate presentation.

After presentations, we completed review and were given our final written exam. I did well on the written exam. This course was extremely stressful for me so I am completely relieved and overjoyed to have made through the class. Time for a little R&R this weekend before the next class starts on Monday. Chocolates up for the next 6 weeks. Whoo hooo!

BAKING AND PASTRY TECHNIQUES

May 15, 2013

Our agenda today was a thorough cleaning of the kitchen.  Each student was assigned a different task to complete.  Mine was cleaning all the Kitchen Aid mixers, the cake turn tables, and shelving unit that they sit on.  It basically took about 3 hours to complete this task.  The last half hour was spent helping others in the kitchen complete their assigned tasks.

 

BAKING AND PASTRY TECHNIQUES

May 14, 2013

Today was the practical exam.  I started out strong with completing my sponge cake and getting it into the oven right away.  The sponge cake I made yesterday turned out great. Unfortunately, 10 other people put there cake into the deck oven after my cake was already in the oven.  By the time it was ready to come out of the oven, the cake had completely fallen and I had to remake the cake. You would think the second time would be a great, but I was afraid to over mix it, have the foam deflate or the cake fall again, so I of course ended up not mixing the flour in enough and the cake had small chunks of flour in it when it was complete.  No time to make this one a third time.

Second up, I made the Vanilla Cream Sauce. This sauce is required to make the Bavarian Cream so it had to be completed in the beginning and slightly cooled so that the Bavarian would be mixed appropriately and have time to set.  We were required to have exactly 8 oz, have it taste good and achieve nappe (ability to coat the back of a spoon).  I completed the sauce with no problems and received 100 on this test item.

Then I made the Pizza Dough. There was no formula to follow for this item.  We were to eyeball the ingredients, 100% flour, 50% water and .25 salt.  She gave us some leeway with this item.  I had to go back to her 3 times with my dough before she said it was good.  Each time she gave me pointers on how to achieve the right dough.  A key piece with this dough is to bench rest the dough before presenting. Now I know how what the dough should look and feel like when it made properly.  

By this time, my Vanilla Sauce was a good temperature so I made the Bavarian Cream.  We had never work with or reviewed gelatin in class and this formula called for us to use gelatin.  Now I made the Bavarian Cream at home yesterday so I was confident this would turn out perfect, no problems. Boy, was I wrong!  I did not melt the gelatin after it bloomed before adding to my Vanilla Sauce and cream did not set properly. Unfortunately messing up on the Bavarian Cream there is no redo since we made just enough Vanilla Sauce for the Bavarian formula. As I waited in line in a hot kitchen with a half set Bavarian Cream, I watched my cream completely melt before my eyes into a pool of sauce on my plate, lol.  I did not want to present this to the Chef, but had no choice.  Even though it was a pool of cream with raspberry sauce blended in with a small dollop of whipped cream and sliced strawberry in the middle of the sauce, it looked good enough to eat. We tasted it and it had good flavor.  I ended with an 80 on this part of the test. No pictures were taken of my failed Bavarian, but below is a picture of the Bavarian I made at home that turned out great.

We had 20 minutes left in class to wrap up our presentations.  I scaled my pie dough, cut the butter  in, mixed the dough and kneaded in record time and put in the refrigerator to cool. After cleaning up my station, I present my dough to the Chef.  It was required to be 10 oz and needed to see the butter throughout as it was a flaky dough formula.  She examined the dough and I received 100 on this item.

In the end, even though I messed up with 2 of the 5 items, I still walked away with a good grade.  Some of the students did not complete all 5 items and received zeros for uncompleted items.  I am very relieved to be complete with this test!