Need Chocolate Class Ideas

[Kerry Beal]

It's the time of year where I need to propose ideas for upcoming chocolate classes that I teach. Popular late winter/early spring classes revolve around Valentine's day, Mother's Day and Easter.

We've got the Valentine's class all sorted, but we are at a loss to figure out easter.

Now I know the logical thing is a molding class - and we will offer one of those for easter eggs, bunnies etc. Trouble is, only a small percentage of the people interested in chocolate classes are interested in molding. Classes that fill quickly are the 'Chocolate 101' type of classes where they learn the basics of tempering, ganache making etc.

In this next batch of classes I'm going to try combining making a chocolate dessert with the chocolate techniques. So what I'm looking for is ideas for easter type desserts that lend themselves to decoration or combination with chocolate.

Anyone got any ideas?

[theabroma]

chocolate dipped - especially white chocolate - fresh or crystallized fruit? Large glaceed apricots stuffed w/marzipan kneaded with rum and half dipped in white chocolate? Truffles, or marzipan, shaped into ovals, dipped in white choc and decorated - like sugar eggs? All inside a chocolate box or bag? or basket - plastic chocolate basket? Spun sugar grass?

Hope this kick-starts some ideas ...

Theabroma

[tmriga]

when I took my chocolate class, I was disappointed that we did not learn all the different ways of tempering chocolate. All we did was table the chocolate on marble.

How about chocolate garnishes? Paper cone work, curls and ribbons, etc.

Do you teach making and modeling with chocolate clay?

Theresa

[Kerry Beal]

Funny you should mention the different ways of tempering - evaluations from the class a month or so ago - they said they didn't think it was necessary to learn how to temper on marble - they found the seed method sufficient (and cleaner).

I think the whole garnish thing is an excellent idea - but I need to figure out what sort of easter theme dessert I should be garnishing.

Love the idea of the marzipan items and making a chocolate box to put them in is a great idea.

This class will likely be one of the large ones, so a demo class rather than a hands on.

[patris]

Funny you should mention the different ways of tempering - evaluations from the class a month or so ago - they said they didn't think it was necessary to learn how to temper on marble - they found the seed method sufficient (and cleaner).

I think the whole garnish thing is an excellent idea - but I need to figure out what sort of easter theme dessert I should be garnishing.

Love the idea of the marzipan items and making a chocolate box to put them in is a great idea.

This class will likely be one of the large ones, so a demo class rather than a hands on.

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One of our Easter desserts is a lemon cloud pie - think lemon curd with softened cream cheese and meringue folded in. Something like that might be good for demo-ing white chocolate (which I STILL have trouble with) - decorations like curls or filigree. Maybe you could also demo making snobinette cups or make bowls with balloons, and fill those with a nice mousse or filling... lemon, coconut, stuff like that.

[gfron1]

-The students in town who took your class seem to have benefited most from ganache making. Can you roll your ganache into egg shapes

-There's a German chocolatier that fills real eggs with chocolate. Can you find a way to do that safely at home?

-I like the idea of chocolate decorations - leaves, curls, ribbons, etc...I want to take that class.

-Acetate strip ribbons, ie Easter basket ribbons

-White chocolate...much more usable for Easter

-Chocolate piped decorations for sugar cookies

[Kerry Beal]

Funny you should mention the different ways of tempering - evaluations from the class a month or so ago - they said they didn't think it was necessary to learn how to temper on marble - they found the seed method sufficient (and cleaner).

I think the whole garnish thing is an excellent idea - but I need to figure out what sort of easter theme dessert I should be garnishing.

Love the idea of the marzipan items and making a chocolate box to put them in is a great idea.

This class will likely be one of the large ones, so a demo class rather than a hands on.

←

One of our Easter desserts is a lemon cloud pie - think lemon curd with softened cream cheese and meringue folded in. Something like that might be good for demo-ing white chocolate (which I STILL have trouble with) - decorations like curls or filigree. Maybe you could also demo making snobinette cups or make bowls with balloons, and fill those with a nice mousse or filling... lemon, coconut, stuff like that.

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Excellent idea - making a variety of cups - one could be used to hold the lemon cloud type dessert (sing "Lemon Cloud is risen today, alleluia") - another to serve as a basket for purchased or home made easter eggs. Incorporate gfron's idea of the ribbon to make a handle for the basket.

This is developing nicely - thanks guys!

[McAuliflower]

How about chocolate nests

- maybe not 101 but I ran into the pictures of Wybauw's chocolate nests from Chocolate Decorations in this google preview of the book.

marshmallows: marshmallow piped- homemade peeps - piped into molds

Egg shaped cutter to stamp out ganache pieces to dip. And then use transfers on top to make patterned like dyed eggs. Again- maybe not 101...

Martha Stewart did chocolate filled egg shells too. They were gorgeous- gold and blue eggs if I remember correctly. Probably on her site somewhere.

[Kerry Beal]

How about chocolate nests

- maybe not 101 but I ran into the pictures of Wybauw's chocolate nests from Chocolate Decorations in this google preview of the book.

marshmallows: marshmallow piped- homemade peeps - piped into molds

Egg shaped cutter to stamp out ganache pieces to dip.  And then use transfers on top to make patterned like dyed eggs. Again- maybe not 101...

Martha Stewart did chocolate filled egg shells too.  They were gorgeous- gold and blue eggs if I remember correctly.  Probably on her site somewhere.

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I've seen egg shaped ganache cutters, that would be a good way to combine the ganache with easter, but not have to try to roll it into an egg shape. Transfers would finish the dipped pieces off nicely.

[beacheschef]

Using the tempered chocolate to create ruffles, curls, a quick demo of chocolate cigarettes. Since these techniques begin with tempered chocolate spread out on marble (or back of a chilled sheetpan), show how you can use tools like offset spatulas and scrapers from a hardware store to make curls, ruffles and cigarettes.

Part of what you learn is how to tell when the chocolate is ready to be scraped into shape, and that's best learned by experience.

I have to admit that I tore out the article from last year's Martha Stewart magazine on creating a marbled exterior for chocolate eggs. The technique fascinated me - and it was mainly dipping choc. eggs into white chocolate that has color marbled into it.

Making coconut eggs and those Cadbury eggs - caramel center, creamy filling and chocolate exterior would be great.

[Chocolot]

What about doing low-tech marshmallow Easter eggs? Everyone has flour at home and could easily make different flavored eggs. Decorating them would be the fun part.

[Kerry Beal]

What about doing low-tech marshmallow Easter eggs?  Everyone has flour at home and could easily make different flavored eggs.  Decorating them would be the fun part.

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Brilliant idea. Funny thing AnnaN e-mailed me this am and said - have a look on page 18 of your book for holiday ideas. I've brought it along to work with me but haven't had time to peruse it yet.

We could make the marshmallow eggs using my egg shaped muffin scoop pressed into cornstarch. Dip them in dark chocolate and decorate with milk and white chocolate patterns. Fabulous. Then some sort of a chocolate basket to put all our eggs in. Gotta figure out an easy basket that doesn't require a professional mold.

[patris]

For the basket - what about piping a freeform latticework of tempered chocolate on the backside of a nice bowl, popping it off, then piping some sort of handle on the back of the same bowl? If you got the geometry right it might work...

[Kerry Beal]

For the basket - what about piping a freeform latticework of tempered chocolate on the backside of a nice bowl, popping it off, then piping some sort of handle on the back of the same bowl?  If you got the geometry right it might work...

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Lattice work and I have never really gotten along - but I could practice, practice, practice. Maybe latticework on a balloon - cause the problem I've had with it in the past is getting it off the bowl without breakage. With the right balloon I could pipe the whole thing handle and all then carefully let the air out of the balloon. I should start fooling with this and see what I can do.

[SeanDirty]

All these ideas seems fun and all... but you know... all of them are seemingly very specific uses of chocolate... like... a chocolate cigar... they are super brittle and probably will just end up as Deco on a cake... Why not teach them something they can make for any special occasion...

My favorite and easiest and most crowd pleasing thing to do with chocolate is Truffles... You dont need the premolded chocolate truffle shells.... all you need is a genache you can roll into a ball, add any flavor to and double dip in tempered chocolate...

You can make truffles for any time of week, any special occasion and have a million different types...

[JeanneCake]

For the basket - what about piping a freeform latticework of tempered chocolate on the backside of a nice bowl, popping it off, then piping some sort of handle on the back of the same bowl?  If you got the geometry right it might work...

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Lattice work and I have never really gotten along - but I could practice, practice, practice. Maybe latticework on a balloon - cause the problem I've had with it in the past is getting it off the bowl without breakage. With the right balloon I could pipe the whole thing handle and all then carefully let the air out of the balloon. I should start fooling with this and see what I can do.

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Or just dip the balloon into the chocolate a few times to build it up? It's much nicer with a handle, but not all baskets have to have a handle

I was going to suggest a non-chocolate basket and say do a meringue basket, painted on the inside with chocolate but this would probably only work in a small size.

[Kerry Beal]

All these ideas seems fun and all... but you know... all of them are seemingly very specific uses of chocolate... like... a chocolate cigar... they are super brittle and probably will just end up as Deco on a cake...  Why not teach them something they can make for any special occasion...

My favorite and easiest and most crowd pleasing thing to do with chocolate is Truffles... You dont need the premolded chocolate truffle shells.... all you need is a genache you can roll into a ball, add any flavor to and double dip in tempered chocolate...

You can make truffles for any time of week, any special occasion and have a million different types...

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I do lots of truffle classes - so I'm looking for something a little more easter themed with some different skills to teach - to get the same folks back who've already done a truffle class.