Chocolate Day!

A fantastic two day chocolate work making Chocolate Soufflé, Raymond Blanc's Cafe Creme in chocolate cup, Chocolate Delice and the Croquembouche by our Level 4 Advanced Cookery & Diploma Chefs. 

Here are some pictures of the incredible dessert variety our students created!

Chocolate soufflé with Passion fruit & Lemon Sorbet

Classic recipe's by Raymond Blanc who is a renowned French chef. 

  
Chocolate Delice                                                                    Cafe Creme in a Chocolate Cup

And Finally! Croquembouche which is the name of the cone-shaped castle of choux puffs – “glued” together with spun sugar or chocolate.

HOW TO MAKE CHOUX PASTRY

Makes about 16 – 20 puffs

220 ml water                         85 g butter

105 g flour                            pinch of salt

2 - 3 medium-sized eggs 

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C.
2. Place the water into a heavy saucepan. Add the butter. Heat slowly to melt the butter then turn up the heat and bring to a rolling boil. 
3. Sieve the flour and salt. Tip into the boiling mixture. Quickly, with a wooden spoon, beat the flour and water together. Remove from the heat after 30 seconds. Keep mixing together off the heat until the paste becomes thick and leaves the side of the saucepan. This is called a panade.
4. Allow the paste to cool for 4- 5 minutes.
5. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until the paste is soft, shiny and smooth. If the eggs are large, it may not be necessary to add all of them. The mixture should be of a dropping consistency – should drop off a spoon in a blob - and not be too runny.
6. Line a baking sheet with baking paper. Drop the paste into a piping bag or using two spoons, lift and scoop onto the tray. Leave about 2 centimetres between each blob of pastry.

STEP BY STEP

Place the water into a heavy saucepan, add the butter and heat slowly to melt the butter.

Turn up the heat and bring to a rolling boil.

Tip the sieved flour and salt into the boiling mixture.

Quickly, with a wooden spoon, beat the flour and water together. 

Remove from the heat after 30 seconds.

Keep mixing together off the heat until the paste becomes thick and leaves the side of the saucepan.

This is called a panade. Allow the paste to cool for 4- 5 minutes.

Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until the paste is soft, shiny and smooth.

If the eggs are large, it may not be necessary to add all of them.

The mixture should be of a dropping consistency – should drop off a spoon in a blob.

Line a baking tray with baking paper.

Drop the paste into a piping bag or, using two spoons, lift and scoop onto the tray.

Leave about 2 centimetres between each dollop of pastry.

BAKING TIPS

Avoid the temptation of opening the oven door for the first 10 – 15 minutes as this will effect the quality of the lift in the pastry.

When the puffs look crisp, some people like to take them out of the oven, stab with a skewer to remove the steam and put them back in the oven upside down for another 5 minutes.