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Anis – Café praline by Belcolade

November 2nd 2009 Posted at General
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Monday,  november 2nd 2009

Yesterday I have been busy testing a recipe that I got when visiting Belcolade last year.  It is originally from Belcolades chocolatier Stef Aerts.

First of all I have made the anis liquor with Pastis.  I made the ganache based on Belcolade origin chocolate with cream and coffee.  The liquor comes first in the mould and then goes the ganache.

The result when you eat the praline is that you first have that fresh anis taste followed by a rich creamy coffee ganache.

Anis-cafe anis-cafe filling

Cheers

Alain

Le Salon du Chocolat Paris

October 17th 2009 Posted at General, Miscellaneous
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Friday, October 16th I went to Paris for the International Salon Du Chocolat.  Meanwhile there was also the World Chocolate Masters competiton which has been won by a Japanese chocolatier, Hirai Shigeo.  The Belgian selection was Ryan Stevenson who ended on the 8th place.

The event was hosted by Barry Callebaut, which made this to an unforgettable day.  Check out the pictures.

Salon du Chocolat WCM WCM All of the participants Ryan Stevenson Ryan Stevenson Chocolatpiece Winner WCM Japan Ryan Stevenson at work
Aq @ WCM Paris My Favorite ... Apple Chocolate and art

Thanks to PMG for a wonderfull day full of chocolate and champagne !

Q balls with Kriek beer

September 28th 2009 Posted at General
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A few days ago I tried a recipe from chef Maarten Pauwels from Brasserie Brouwershof in Haacht.

His recipe was based on Tongerlo Prior 9 beer.  I made a few changes and tried to make the ganache with Kriek Lindemans beer and with Belcolade chocolate Origin Noir Collection Peru 64 which has a bitter taste with a fruity aftertaste.

The original recipe from Maarten Pauwels is here :

Ingredients :
450 g cream
300 g Tongerlo Prior beer
190 g trimoline
550 g grenada chocolade
75 g butter

Preparing :
Melt cream, beer, trimoline and butter.
Pour onto the chocolate and stir well.
Let it cool down and fill your pralines.

My recipe with Kriek Lindemans and Belcolade Origin chocolate is following :

450 g cream
300 g Kriek Lindemans
200 g trimoline
600 g Origin Noir Collection Peru 64 from Belcolade
80g butter

I prepared the ganache the same way but I added some tempered chocolate after cooling down.  Otherwise the ganache was too fluid.  I used a flexmould to create balls and covered them again with Belcolade Origin chocolate.  The result is good.  A good texture with a fruity Kriek aftertaste.

kriek praline

I am still looking for all kinds recipes for beer pralines.

Enjoy !

Zotter, chocolate goes arty

September 28th 2009 Posted at Chocolate, General
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A few days ago I got a wonderfull present.  It was a bag full of chocolate, straight from Wien, Austria.

The bag contained different chocolate from different companies.  The one that attracted my attention the most was Zotter chocolate.  Zotter chocolate is very special and contains different ingredients such as sellery and portwine, chili, kirsch with marzipan (one of my favourites), peanuts and ketchup, …  All chocolate is produced under the Fair Trade label.  There was also a piece of chocolate with cashew nuts !! … mmmmm amazing what they do with chocolate.

Zotter Chocolate

Zotter

I also received Mozartkugeln.  The Mozartkugeln are a real delicatesse.

Mozartkugeln

They contain a heart of hazelnutpralinee, a layer of marzipan with almond extract and then a fine layer of chocolate.  If you never tried one, I recommend them !

There was also some other chocolate I received.  Some were from Coppeneur – chocolate with rose petals and grappa and a piece of chocolate with brittle nougat, Hachez chocolate with 70% origin chocolate, Hussel chocolate 100% cacao with jasmin and last but not least Green and Blacks butterscotch chocolate.

Hussel Green & Blacks

Coppeneur Hachez

Thank you very much !!

Broodway @ Kortrijk

September 17th 2009 Posted at General
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Wednesday, september 17th 2009

Broodway

Today, I went to an exhibition in Kortrijk, named Broodway.  It was all about baking bread, icecream and ofcourse chocolate.  If you are working in one of these categories, it was definately worth a visit.  The major chocolate companies were there such as Valrhona, Callebaut and some smaller.

I also spoke with Matthias Haeck from Vital Nougat.  Vital Nougat from Nevele has the best nougat you can find. You can use the nougat to make pralines and other fine chocolate products.  Please give their site a visit for more recipes.

Nougat

Addicted to chocolate

August 29th 2009 Posted at Chocolate
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Friday, august 28th 2009

I must admit it, I am addicted to chocolate.  Today I was walking in the wonderfull city of Bruges and I passed a window with some chocolate I never tasted.  The flesh is weak and I had to buy some of it.

The first one I bought is wrapped up like a bag of tobacco and is from Dolfin.  It contains 52% of cocoa and green aniseeds.  Amazing taste !  It tastes perfectly with a glass of cold pastis.

The second one I got was Lacasa, a Spanish brand of chocolate.  I am not really enthousiast about this chocolate.  It contains 70% of cocoa but the taste is not according to it.  Also I noticed that the translation of the ingredients on the package is wrong,  Lots of errors.

Dolfin Dolfin

Chocolade3

If you have any suggestions for good chocolate, please let me know and I will give it a try.

Enjoy !

Alain

Chocolate in the Auvergne, France

August 26th 2009 Posted at General
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Tuesday, august 25th 2009

While I was having a drink on a terrace from a bar in Bourboule, Auvergne in France I saw this artefact on their front.  I guess they used to make chocolate in this place.   When the chocolate was ready they let the clock make the bell noise to attract people.  Might be a true story, I don’t know.  But it looked surely great.

Chocolate Wake Up

Summer fun with chocolate

August 17th 2009 Posted at Butter mass, Chocolate, Ganache, Spices and herbs
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Saturday, august 15th 2009

Today I wanted to refine some chocolates that I like.  I made a mokka cream praline and a ganache with fresh mint with dark chocolate.  I also moulded some figures for testing purposes.  The came out well.  Lucky it didn’t get too hot and sunny outside since I have no airco present yet.

Chocolate Moulded figure

Moulded chocolate

Mokka cream Mint ganache

Mokka cream and fresh mint ganache

Chocolate Meringue Cookies

Chocolate meringue cookies

Enjoy the sun !

Zaabär Chocolade Rulez !

August 11th 2009 Posted at Spices and herbs
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Wednesday, august 12th 2009

Today I visited Antwerp with an American friend Jim.  I saw this super good chocolate from Zaabär lying in a window.  Zaabär chocolate is chocolate with different flavours of herbs.  The chocolate contains 55,9% cacao and tastes great.  I bought a few of them.  You can see the pictures underneath.  Enjoy !

Macis de Grenade

Macadamia de Carpentarie

Noix de pecan de Taos

Citronelle du Sri Lanka

Réglisse de Galeria

Valrhona chocolate and Tour de France

July 19th 2009 Posted at General
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Saturday, july 18th 2009

Today I was in Colmar, France to see the depart of the Tour de France etappe 14, Colmar to Besancon.  It’s amazing what circus the Tour de France has become since  it’s start.  Although it is fun to be part of it and see the heroes on the bikes.  The weather wasn’t that extraordinary but at least it stayed dry when the start occured.

While I was in Colmar I bought some high quality Valrhona chocolate.  See the pictures for yourself.

Valrhona Caraïbe Noisette : dark chocolate grand cru with split hazelnuts, 66% cacao

Valrhona Guanaja Grand Cru : dark bittersweet and elegant chocolate, 70% cacao

Valrhona Caraïbe Grand Cru : balanced and velvety dark chocolate, 66% cacao

I hope you have a good vacation.

Alain

Looking for a building

July 16th 2009 Posted at General
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Thursday, july 16th 2009

It’s official, I am looking for a suited building to start a chocolateproduction.  I have been looking around a bit in my area for a building but till now I did not find anything suitable and democratic.

In case you know a space in the Gent area, 250 square meters, 2 entrances, preferable at a busy location, for rent and eventually for sale, please let me know as soon as possible.

Meanwhile I enjoy the summertime.

Cheers

Alain

Making test pralines in summertime

June 29th 2009 Posted at General
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Monday, june 29th 2009

A few days ago I made some pralines for testing purposes.   I made one with a ganache made from dark chocolate with roasted almond powder and amaretto.  The second pralines was made from soft caramel with walnuts covered with white chocolate.  The finishing was just a fantasy.

Soft caramel with walnuts covered with white chocolate

Ganache with dark chocolate, roasted almond powder and amaretto.  Covered with dark chocolate

More will follow later.  Now it is too hot to make test pralines :) .

Marbre table

June 29th 2009 Posted at Chocolate
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Saturday, june 27th 2009

It’s been a while that I have posted something.  The lessons have finished and the practical and theoretical test are over.  I am waiting for my final result.

Meanwhile, I bought a marbre table, size 1m30 on 80cm and 10 cm thick.

I also purchased a new flexmould to make truffle balls.  It is a flexible mould that resists low and high temperatures.  I use it mainly with ganaches.  If you use a premade chocolate ball that you fill with ganache and then cover with chocolate, you have 2 layers of chocolate.  With this mould you have a ganache ball that you cover with 1 layer of chocolate.  This way the chocolate truffle is lighter and contains less chocolate and more of fine ganache.  If you need more information about this mould, please drop me an email and I will send you the information where you can get them.

More chocolate news soon !  Meanwhile, enjoy the vacation.

Choco-laté : a chocolate festival in Bruges

May 4th 2009 Posted at General
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Saturday, mai 2nd 2009

Today I attended Choco-Laté, a chocolate festival organised by chocolate producer Belcolade.  The festival has all different kinds op people that present their creations and new products.  I saw a lot of chocolate art, drinks, sniffing cocoapowder with Dominique Persoone and lots more.  There were a lot of people standing in line to get in and get their chocolate piece.

Meanwhile I got in touch with the people from Belcolade to eventually buy chocolate from them.  I managed to get samples from different products, especially the Oxanti chocolate, which contains anti oxidants against aging.

3rd International Chocolate Symposium

April 29th 2009 Posted at General
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Wednesday, april 29th 2009

Click here for the 3rd International Chocolate Symposium brochure

Today I attended the 3rd International Chocolate Symposium.  the symposium is a gathering of chocolate professionals organised by chocolate producer Belcolade.  It is a very interesting symposium with international speakers and different items such as new trends in chocolate products, foodpairing with chocolate, berryfruit and walnuts and chocolate in the aging brain, The most delicious bonbon of the Netherlands and more.

There were possibilities to taste different pralines and chocolate which gives an insight in different products to use for praline creation.  It is definately worth a visit next year if you are a chocolate professional.

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