1. Copyright ©2014 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved. C HAPTER 7: C HOCOLATE, D ÉCOR, AND C ONFECTIONERY

2. Copyright ©2014 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved. L EARNING O BJECTIVES Explain the differences between melting and tempering chocolate. Describe the three methods for tempering chocolate. Explain how to mold chocolates. Identify and describe the two main types of ganache. Describe how to dip confections in tempered chocolate. Discuss different finishing techniques for chocolates. Explain the two methods for cooking sugar. Describe how to work with modeling chocolate, sugar paste, and marzipan. Identify the specialty tools used for chocolate and confectionery work.

3. Copyright ©2014 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved. C HOCOLATE Melted chocolate can be used for a variety of purposes, but one of the most common is tempering chocolate. – Chocolate that is to be melted should be finely chopped. – A hot water bath is usually used for melting chocolate, but it is important that moisture never comes in contact with the chocolate. – The water should be steaming hot but not simmering. – Gently stir the chocolate occasionally as it melts. – Remove the chocolate from the heat promptly once it is fully melted. Melting Chocolate

4. Copyright ©2014 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved. C HOCOLATE The Seed Method – Approximately 25 percent chopped tempered chocolate of the weight of the melted chocolate to be tempered is added to the warm melted chocolate. – Gently stirred to melt and incorporate it. – The whole mass is then brought to the appropriate working temperature. The Block Method – A single block of tempered chocolate is added to warm melted chocolate and gently stirred until the desired temperature is reached. Tempering Chocolate: Methods

5. Copyright ©2014 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved. C HOCOLATE – After the chocolate is brought into temper, the seed, or block of chocolate, is removed. The Tabling Method – One-third of the melted chocolate is poured onto a marble surface and spread back and forth until it begins to thicken. – This resulting mass is then added to the remaining melted chocolate and gently stirred. – The whole mass is then gradually brought to the appropriate working temperature. Tempering Chocolate: Methods (cont’d)

6. Copyright ©2014 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved. C HOCOLATE Clean and allow the molds to come to room temperature. When using molds that have an intricate design, first brush some of the chocolate into the mold. Pour the tempered chocolate into the mold, completely filling it. Working quickly, tap or vibrate the mold to release any air pockets and to ensure that the chocolate fills all the crevices. Immediately invert the mold, pouring the excess chocolate back into the container of tempered chocolate. Suspend the mold upside down. Molding Chocolates

7. Copyright ©2014 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved. C HOCOLATE Hold the mold at a 45-degree angle, bracing one edge against a flat surface; starting halfway up the mold, push a bench scraper down the mold to remove the excess chocolate. Allow the shells to set. Fill the mold 80 to 90 percent full with the desired filling. Once it is filled, tap or vibrate the mold to release any air bubbles and settle the filling. Coat and seal the molded confections. Let stand until the chocolate is in a semisolid state, then clean the surface of the mold. Chill molded chocolates. Turn the mold upside down and, holding it at a 45-degree angle, gently but firmly tap it once. Molding Chocolates (cont’d)

8. Copyright ©2014 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved. C HOCOLATE Cream ganache – It is most commonly used as the center for truffles, but other confections are made with ganache as well. – The consistency of ganache may be hard, soft, or any variation in between, depending on the ratio of chocolate to cream. Butter ganache – Butter ganache is most commonly used as the center for confections. – The basic ratios for butter ganache are 2:1 or 2½:1 chocolate to butter. Ganache

9. Copyright ©2014 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved. C HOCOLATE To flavor ganache for truffles, follow these steps: – Bring the cream to a boil, add the flavoring, and remove the pan from the heat. – Cover and allow to stand until the flavor has been infused into the cream. – After steeping, aromatics such as teas, herbs, and spices are strained out of the cream. – After straining, water or milk should be added as necessary to bring the liquid to its original weight. – Before the infused cream is added to the chocolate, it should be rewarmed so it is hot enough to melt the chocolate. Ganache

10. Copyright ©2014 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved. C HOCOLATE Premade shells are consistent in shape and size, time efficient, and easier to package due to their uniformity. The cost and quality of the shells must be taken into consideration. Typically, premade shells are used for fillings too soft to be formed by piping or rolling. Although hollow shells permit the use of soft fillings, you must be mindful of the water content of fillings and their potential for spoilage. Using Premade Chocolate Shells

11. Copyright ©2014 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved. C HOCOLATE To dip a center, place it in the tempered chocolate, slip the dipping fork under the confection in the chocolate, and, with a scooping motion, pick it up so that it is sitting right-side up on the fork. Gently raise and lower the confection on the fork a few times, allowing the base to just touch the surface, to remove excess chocolate. Remove the confection from the bowl, gently scraping it on the edge of the bowl. Carefully lower that edge of the confection onto the clean parchment paper-lined sheet pan and remove the fork. Dipping Confections in Tempered Chocolate

12. Copyright ©2014 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved. C HOCOLATE A dusting of cocoa powder or confectioners’ sugar can be used as a finishing technique for truffles. Truffles and other round confections can also be rolled in a garnish. Spiking, or rolling a just-dipped truffle on a wire screen, is another option that creates an erratic but aesthetically pleasing spiked surface. Decorated transfer sheets can be applied to the top of any smooth, flat confection. A dipping fork can be used to decorate a flat confection with small waves. Techniques for Finishing Chocolates

13. Copyright ©2014 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved. C HOCOLATE Rocher – A confection made from an item bound in tempered chocolate – The individual shapes of the nuts or candied fruit should be clearly visible through the chocolate. Dragées – Dragées are nuts coated with cooked sugar and are typically coated in chocolate. – The larger the nut, the less sugar you should use, and the nuts used for dragées should not be toasted. Rochers and Dragées

14. Copyright ©2014 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved. C ONFECTIONS Wet method – Only the wet method allows the sugar to be cooked to and used at the various stages that are vital for countless preparations. – Sugar is dissolved in water and then cooked to various stages. Dry method – The dry method is used exclusively for caramelizing. – Sugar is gradually added to the pan in small increments and allowed to melt before fully caramelizing the sugar. Cooking Sugar: Methods

15. Copyright ©2014 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved. C ONFECTIONS Making soft caramels – The final assessment of whether the caramel is ready should be determined by testing the batch using ice water and a spoon. Making peanut brittle – Temperature and color must be carefully monitored to achieve the characteristic flavor and texture. Making hard candies – Oils, extracts, and concentrated synthetic or natural flavors are the most common flavorings used for hard candies. Cooking Sugar

16. Copyright ©2014 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved. D ÉCOR Modeling chocolate is made by adding corn syrup to melted white, milk, or dark chocolate. The result is a solid medium that has the flavor of chocolate but is pliable enough to mold and sculpt. Modeling chocolate’s primary use is to create parts of chocolate showpieces or decor that would be difficult to carve or shape out of couverture. Always use a clean rolling pin when rolling out modeling chocolate. The same modeling tools used for marzipan and sugar pastes also work well with modeling chocolate. Working with Modeling Chocolate

17. Copyright ©2014 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved. D ÉCOR Pastillage is a pure white sugar paste. It is not sensitive to ambient humidity, making it possible to assemble pieces well in advance and hold them at room temperature. Gum paste and pastillage are essentially the same medium; however, gum paste is more elastic and may be rolled thinner and manipulated more easily without cracking. Both gum paste and pastillage décor elements should be dried overnight before use. Rolled fondant is technically a sugar paste; however, it does not dry to a brittle state as easily and, therefore, cannot be used for the same applications. Working with Sugar Pastes

18. Copyright ©2014 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved. D ÉCOR Marzipan is a paste made of ground almonds and sugar. Marzipan can be used as a center (to be enrobed in chocolate), as a confection by itself, or to make decor. The ratio of almonds to sugar varies depending on the intended use of the finished product, as does the temperature to which the syrup is cooked. Marzipan should be firm but not dry or brittle. Working with Marzipan

19. Copyright ©2014 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved. T OOLS FOR C HOCOLATE, CONFECTIONERY, AND D ÉCOR Piping tools Modeling tools Airbrush Acetate Heat gun Key Points

20. Copyright ©2014 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved. T OOLS FOR C HOCOLATE, CONFECTIONERY, AND D ÉCOR Heating lamp Air blower Sugar blowing pump Sugar pulling tent Fondant funnel Chocolate tempering machine Chocolate spatula Key Points (cont’d)

21. Copyright ©2014 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved. T OOLS FOR C HOCOLATE, CONFECTIONERY, AND D ÉCOR Decorative transfer sheets Patterned rolling pins Copper pot Chocolate molds Dipping tools Chocolate cutter Caramel bars Key Points (cont’d)