Chocolate Showpiece

       I had so much fun this week learning how to make a chocolate showpiece! I thought it was going to be a stressful week just like sugar showpiece, but to my surprise it was actually very laid back and fun! We were taught by Chef Sébastien Canonne M.O.F(Meilleur Ouvrier de France meaning Best Craftsman of France; it is the highest title in pastry) and Chef Jacquy Pfieffer. Even though we only had Chef Jacquy for a day it was pretty neat having both the co-founders of the school and such incredible chefs in one week! Both of these chefs along with the rest of the chefs who have taught us have so much experience and it is always interesting to hear all of the stories that they have. Each and everyone is a learning opportunity.
       Before going into this week and knowing that I was going to be taught by an M.O.F, I was definitely intimidated. Then,  once we got in there and we were sitting in demo it was no different then sitting in demo with any other chef. He joked around, told stories, and taught what he had to teach and much much more! It was awesome to see how many different techniques there are when it comes to chocolate.

 
Chocolate 

  Showpiece

A rose made from all chocolate. It is sprayed with melted cocoa butter that is also colored.

This is another type of flower. The middle is made from colored cocoa butter and white chocolate and the leaves are made from pressing a knife dipped in chocolate on a piece of plastic and letting it cool to get the rounded shape.

It's funny how my showpiece could make it back to my apartment in one piece, but it broke when I was putting it together. Luckily it broke on Thursday and I was able to hurry up and make a new base and so I could airbrush it on Friday! I was talking to my classmates and said, at least it wasn't sugar that I would have to cast and pull again...that would have been awful.

Chef Sébastien's Chocolate pieces

A chocolate nest

A chocolate ball in a chocolate ball

 




An egg that looks like a coconut

Chocolate egg

Tarts

Lemon Cream Tart

 Lemon Curd Tart

The difference between lemon cream and lemon curd: lemon cream has more butter and lemon curd has more lemon zest, lemon juice, and egg. The lemon curd is more tart.

Fruit Tart

This tart is filled with almond cream and topped with apricots.

Chocolate Tart

The garnish on top is a chocolate nougatine. It is almost like a brittle made with almonds.

St. Honoré Tart

This tart is almost like a giant cream puff! There is pâte à choux (cream puff batter) is piped over a crust and baked. After baking, cream puffs are placed on top and filled in with Vanilla Crème Légère.  This is Pastry Cream combined with Whipped Cream. It is delicious! It would be really good with fresh fruit, granola, or in a trifle. 

          Mille-Feuille

This pastry is commonly known as a Napoleon. It is layers of puff pastry and pastry cream.