We’ve been working with chocolates for the past few weeks, trying to master our skills in tempering, molding, and sculpting. I have to say, I had a lot of trouble getting used to chocolate: it’s fickle, sensitive, and extremely messy. It was to the point where I felt a bit overwhelmed and stressed. However, the chef gave some really good advise: don’t let the material dominate you. In order to become a master chef, you have to dominate the ingredients. Having that attitude gave me a lot of confidence and calm, and I think in the end it helped me really enjoy this chapter in our studies.
The chocolate chapter ended today with an exam (how ironic! Chocolate exam on Valentine’s Day). The exam entailed making a round box, lid, and open ended decor elements. I wish I had a picture of what I had made because it was so much better than anything I had made in previous classes. The design was similar to the first photograph, but my flower was 100x better: the petals were rounded, more closed, and more realistic, like a rose. I tried to be creative with the lid and shape it like a leaf, but we’ll see if the chefs liked it! I’m sad chocolate is over now. I feel like we just began to dabble with all of its potential.
Lesson 10: Chocolate tempering and molding
The frame and picture were required. Cute, but wouldn’t have been my first choice.
Lesson 11: Bon Bon au Chocolat
Molded chocolates filled with caramel.
Lesson 12: Boite au Chocolat
I couldn’t figure out how to glue the petals on, which is why the flower is so open and separated from the center sphere. After close observation during the chef’s chocolate sculpture demo, I figured out that the key is to place the petals upright rather than laying down. The result is a much more realistic and natural.
Happy Valentine’s Day!!!
ray says
jess these look soooo cute. i’m sure yours was 100000x better :p
happy vday! xx.
Jessica says
Ray- Thankss!!! Wish you were here sharing chocolates with me!
Kathy says
It’s so fun reading your blog. I really enjoy your photos and posts of what you have been learning in class.
michellec says
so pretty!!!!
Maria @ Scandifoodie says
That is just a work of art! Beautiful!
A Little Yumminess says
AMAZING!! Wow!
Vivienne says
wow you can be so artistic with chocolates.
that flower in the first pic is so pretty so cant imagine what the one u made in the exam looks like! wat do they do with your work after they mark it anyways? eat it? haha.
Crazy Sweet Life says
Wow! Working with chocolate sounds soooo hard! I really want to gobble up those chocolate caramels….
Camille says
Chocolate can definitely be trying, but the feeling when your mold comes out perfectly shiny and tempered is such a good one! Still, I much prefer playing around with ganache flavors to building elaborate sculptures.
Michelle says
Haha. chocolate exam on Valentine’s Day. I used to not like chocolate, but now it’s growing on me, and I actually crave it sometimes.
Emily says
Jess these all look amazing. I am still swooning over the chocolates you made for Christmas. So jealous! You will have to teach me how to temper someday.
Paris Pâtisseries says
I think all lidded boxes in real life should be made of chocolate. The world would be a much happier place, if a bit messier. Very nice work, and I want one of those caramel-filled chocolates.
Ellie (Almost Bourdain) says
It’s beautiful!! I still yet to learn tempering chocolate.
hungry dog says
I thought I already commented on this–I certainly have pored over it several times! You are so gifted. And, I want to eat every single thing, particularly the ones filled with caramel…
Jun says
Those are amazing! You are so lucky. Working with chocolate is like working with oil paint. One has to relax as much as possible. By the way, what’s that round ball decor on top of the cake? It looks very interesting!
Joyti says
I LOVE your design. I’m sure you did well on this exam – its gorgeous!
Cooking Gallery says
The chocolate pieces look gorgeous…!!
ChocoParis says
Those pieces are really impressive. Working with chocolate can be so tricky, but you’ve done very well indeed!
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