Q Chocolate

General Chocolate Interests

Archive for January, 2009

Chocolate entertainment

Wednesday, january 28 2009

Today I managed to show up at the courses but nobody was there.  I forgot that there was no lesson.  The result is taht I have nothing to show.  That is why I checked some media things concerning chocolate.

Check them out.

This is a Youtube video about 2 woman working in a little chocolatefactory.  I Love Lucy

Another Youtube video about a chocolate buffet in Vancouver.  All you can eat !!  Sutton Place Hotel Chocolate Buffet

Yesterday I also bought myself a bar of Newtree chocolate with thym.  There is 65% of cocoa in and it has been made with 100% pure cocoabutter.  It’s worth a try.

More news and pralines next week

Cheers, Alain

The final test and the creations

Wednesday, january 21st 2009

As mentioned last week today was the end test of the praline module.  There were a few things I had to do.

I had to create 10 wild cherry’s in chocolate, 250gr of truffles, 24 cream pralines and 24 pralines with a pattern on.  Meanwhile all of the pralines need to be filled with something tasty ofcourse.

A thank you goes to Xavier, my colleague student, he prepared some stuff that was very helpfull !!

This is the result of my exam :

Wild Cherries on alcohol, dipped in glucose and then covered with chocolate

Buttermass made with Passoa drink

Pralinee praline with a transfer applied on top

Real Belgian handmade truffles with white buttermass

Now I am waiting for the results of course.  I hope to receive the result as soon as possible.

The upcoming courses are also interesting.  I have 9 lessons in chocolate art.  This means making chocolate pieces for special occasions.  Different techniques will be studied.  There are also another 10 lessons about management, hygiene and organisation which will be a bit boring I guess.  The last lesson, Monday Mai 18th is my final exam.  I will keep you posted.

Cheers Alain

Chocolate bars, caramellos and truffels

Wednesday, january 14th 2009

Today I got some instructions about the next weeks test to finish the module.  In a few hours I have to produce 250 grams of truffels, 24 pralines with a design on it, 24 pralines with buttermass and 10 cherries with glusoce and sugar.  Sounds like a piece of cake but ain’t that difficult.

Meanwhile, today I made pralines with a caramelganache.  My colleagues created some other pralines with cinnamon and Poire Williams liquor.  We made chocolate bars with hazelnuts also tried to make the original “Kinder surprise” chocolate with roasted and caramellised cocos.

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Milkchocolate praline filled with caramelganache.

Milkchocolate praline filled with Poire williams liquor ganache.

White praliné ganache with nutliquor rolled in white chocolate.

Cinnamon sticks made from ganache made with cinnamon liquor, enrobed with milkchocolate and cacaopowder.

This is a chocolate bar filled with the original recipe for “Kinder surprise” chocolate.  Its white fondant filling with roasted and caramelised cocos.

A milk chocolate bar in pieces with roasted hazelnut.

As you can see there are plenty of possibilities with chocolate.  Keep visiting regularly so you can see more about delicious chocolate.

Alain

Pralines with fruits

Wednesday, january 7th 2009

Now that the new year started there are also new lessons.  I received today my certificate of the marzipan exam and I passed.

Today was all about fruit and chocolate.  I learned different methods to put fruit like raisins, cherries, strawberry and oranges on alcohol and preserve them for later use.  It is always interesting to start early with conserving fruits.  This way they have the time to absorb more alcohol which improves the durability of the fruit and the praline.

I created a few pralines for practising reasons with my colleagues, the result is beneath.

Orange with praliné and Mimosa on a layer of marzipan.  In there are little pieces of oranges on glucose and Grand Marnier.

Dried dades filled with marzipan and mokka taste covered with milkchocolate.

Praline in dark chocolate filled with strawberry ganache with liquor and a dried cherry inside.

Praline in milk chocolate with an Ammarena cherry inside and cherry liquor.

Enjoy it !

Alain

Our future ? Foodpairing and molecular tasting

Monday, january 5th 2009

Today there is an event : The Flemish Primitives about food pairing in the concertbuilding in Bruges.  The organisation behind it are the people from the Food pairing website.  Foodpairing helps to combine foods to create new tastes.  Also chocolate can be combined with all kinds of ingredients.  It’s worth to pay a visit at their blogsite for recipes.

Enjoy !

Alain

Best wishes to all for 2009 !

Thursday, january 1st 2009

I wish all readers a healthy 2009.  I hope that everybody may achieve all his/her wishes.

From january 7th there will be new lessons and new chocolate creations.

Cheers

Alain