"Life is like a box of chocolates..."

Earl Grey Ganache Filled Candies

The Colombian

This candy is filled with a coffee infused ganache.

Peanut Butter 

This candy has a peanut butter filling. This one reminds me of home because it is almost like a Sarris peanut butter meltaway!! A.K.A my favorite Sarris candy!!

Trios

This candy is has a chocolate base and topped with caramelized hazelnuts covered in chocolate.

Royaltine

This is a chocolate hazelnut candy.

Gianduja

This candy is a chocolate base topped with gianduja. Gianduja is a chocolate hazelnut mixture, almost like Nutella just with less chocolate flavor.

Swiss Rocher

These are a version of a Ferrero Rocher!! The only thing that is different is that there is not a hazelnut in the center.

Buttermass

Pear Caramel

This is filled with a caramel and chocolate filling. It is supposed to have pear alcohol in it but we used an orange liqueur.

Pistachio Ganache

This is filled with a pistachio ganache. I like this, but I think it would be very good with a white chocolate shell instead of dark.

Marzipan 

Rum Truffles

Carmelized Almonds

Normandy Cream

This is a chocolate ganache filling.

Nougatine

The nougatine is a caramel base mixed with granulated almonds.

 Mendiants

Last, but not least mendiants. These are a chocolate base with nuts and candied fruit on top. They can be made in many shapes and sizes. I was given the big chocolate bar from Chef En-Ming Hsu for winning the tempering contest. She said she had a special project for us to do and gave each of us a container of un-tempered chocolate and when we were done bring it to her!
       You would probably like to know what tempering means....well chocolate has 6 different crystals in them and when it is melted they are unstable. Cooling it down and bringing it to the right temperature(which varies for the different types of chocolate) creates stable crystals. These stable crystals are what gives the chocolate a shiny look and makes it snap, If the chocolate was not tempered it would be soft, not like your typical chocolate bar. There are three different ways to temper chocolate; tabling, seeding, and direct method.
       Tabling chocolate is when you poor 75% of the melted chocolate onto  a granite or marble table/slab and spread it out so that you are able to fold the outside into the middle with a table scraper. You do this until it gets think, but  not too thick. Then you put that back into the bowl with the rest of the melted chocolate. Make a test.
       Seeding chocolate is when you have melted chocolate and you add pistols(unmelted chocolate disks), about 15%. Stir and make sure they are all melted. Make a test. If it doesn't set add a couple more pistols. I used this method when given the "special project"
       Direct method tempering is taking pistols and melting 75% and stirring in the rest. Make a test.
When I say make a test, we are taught to make a test even if you are at the desired temperature because the thermometer could not read it properly. The easiest way to make a test is take a small piece of parchment paper and dip it in the chocolate. If it does not set within three to four minutes it is still too warm and not tempered.

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.