a day of chocolate with le cordon bleu, london · ©cake decorating tv page 1 of 7 what you need a...

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What you need

A Day Of Chocolate With Le Cordon Bleu, London

Melting Chocolate

EquipmentR Bain-Marie

R Metal RingR Metal BowlR Chocolate thermometerR SpatulaR Tea towelEdibles

R Callebaut dark chocolate drops

1. Fill a saucepan with some water and place over a low heat until the water is just simmering, then turn off the heat.

2. Pour some chocolate drops into a metal bowl and place on top of the saucepan, making sure that the bottom of the chocolate bowl does not touch the water. Let the chocolate melt, stirring occasionally with a spatula

3. When nearly melted, lift the bowl from the saucepan and set on a folded tea towel on the counter. If melted chocolate comes into contact with water (even a few drops) it will become unworkable so keep your workstation, bowls and spatula completely dry. Keeping a tea towel handy and the bowl sitting on one means you can constantly wipe any water drops away!

4. To take the temperature of the chocolate, always stir the chocolate first with a spatula so that the heat is evenly distributed, then dip a chocolate thermometer or probe into the chocolate to take a reading. The ideal temperature

you are looking for is 31/32C but as the chocolate has only just melted – it will most likely be around 45C. To lower the temperature, place the chocolate bowl in the bowl of cold water, stir then retake the temperature. Once again, you are

looking for 31/32C, if the temperature has now gone too low (say 29C) pop back on the saucepan of hot water.

Take your time as this process is not something that can be rushed. You will soon get used to reaching the right temperature and as mentioned before, do always keep a couple of tea towels to hand to wipe away the drips and to sit the bowls on.

5. When the chocolate has reached 31/32C it is ready to work with! Now you can use it to create stunning chocolate Easter eggs, ribbons, butterflies, filigree work, chocolate leaves and flowers which will set beautifully shiny with a snap when broken or eaten.

Helpful Notes, Hints & TipsWe have produced these notes so that you can use them in conjunction with the Le Cordon Bleu ‘Day of Chocolate’ video tutorial. After an incredible day with Chef Jérôme Pendaries, we felt that we really did understand chocolate and how to work with it to create stunning decorations.

With so many facts, hints and tips though, we thought some notes would be handy to have along side you as you work! His passion was inspiring and he taught us that patience is the key. In this day and age, we all try and do everything quickly but chocolate cannot be rushed!

Melting The ChocolateIf you want smooth, shiny chocolate decorations with a crisp snap, melting the chocolate to the right temperature is really important. To get the correct temperature you may have to heat or cool down the chocolate so you will need a chocolate thermometer, a saucepan of hot water on the go (a bain-marie) and a bowl of cold water. Producing beautiful chocolate work is all about patience. Take your time, always work with the chocolate at the correct temperature and enjoy the process!

Handy hints: Checking The Chocolate’s TemperThere is another way you can check the chocolate is ready to use. Dip a small piece of baking parchment into the melted chocolate and place on your worktop. The chocolate should set in around 5-6 minutes with a good shine.

If The Chocolate Cools Down!The bowl of chocolate may cool down between making decorations. Don’t worry, simply place it back on the saucepan of hot water, raising the temperature back up to 31/32C. Always stir before checking the temperature, avoiding any set chocolate around the sides of the bowl.

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Chocolate Eggs

1. Prepare two egg moulds by making sure they are free of any grease. The easiest way to do this is to take a clean mould and polish it with cotton wool.

2. While your chocolate is at the correct temperature 31/32C, ladle or pour the chocolate into the mould until nearly full, making sure it cover all the sides. Tap the edge of the mould with the handle of a palette knife to expel any air bubbles.

3. Twist the mould so that the chocolate is spread evenly around the mould then turn upside down over the bowl of melted chocolate so that all excess chocolate drains back into the bowl. Remove any last excess chocolate around the top edge of the mould with a palette knife.

4. Place the mould upside down onto some baking parchment paper and leave to set for around 15 minutes. Then clean away any excess set chocolate around the mould with a large cranked palette knife.

5. To secure the two chocolate eggs halves together, warm a metal tray over a saucepan of hot water. Slide the chocolate eggs over the tray just enough to melt the chocolate edges then press the egg halves gently together. Leave to set on a metal ring.

What you need

Chocolate Eggs

R Egg moulds

R Baking parchment paper

R Melted chocolate

R Large cranked palette knife

RLadle for pouring chocolate into the mould (optional)

R Cotton wool, plastic side scraper

Textured Chocolate Base

You can create textured, shaped slabs of chocolate or a base for a chocolate decoration simply using a textured or patterned plastic sheet.

1. Place a plastic textured sheet on a wooden chopping board then pour and spread some melted chocolate over it approximately 2-3mm in thickness.

2. Place a sheet of parchment paper, then place another chopping board on top to flatten the chocolate out evenly.

3. Leave to set for around 5 minutes. At the touch dry stage, the chocolate will look cloudy and be dry to the touch. This stage is important, because it allows you to cut out shapes before the chocolate is completely set.

4. Place the metal ring on the chocolate and using a sharp knife, cut around the inside of the ring. Remove the ring and excess chocolate around the outside, leaving a textured chocolate circle. Now leave to set completely.

What you need

Textured Chocolate Base

R Melted chocolate

R 2 x wooden chopping boards

R Baking parchment paper

R Metal ring, silicon Spatula

R Embossing textured sheet

R Sharp knife, cranked palette Knife


Chocolate Butterflies

To pipe your own filigree chocolate butterflies, go online and search ‘filigree butterfly templates’ where you will be able to choose from many designs. Print them out to the size of decoration you require then cut out some squares of acetate the same size.

1. Place a square of acetate over the butterfly template (you can attach it in place with a tiny dab of melted chocolate on one corner).

2. Fill a paper icing bag half full with melted chocolate (31/32C) and fold over the top a couple of times to secure the chocolate in the bag.

3. Snip a small hole in the tip of the bag and then pipe onto the acetate using the template of the butterfly beneath.

4. Leave to set flat or against something if you want the wings set at an angle.

What you need

Chocolate Butterflies

R Butterfly template (print online)

R Melted chocolate

R Paper parchment icing bag

R Plastic acetate cut into squares

R Dessert spoon

R Magnets

R Metal tray

Chocolate Leaves

If you are not confident at creating your own leaf templates, choose some designs online and download them to copy or trace.

1. Draw a leaf template onto a square of acetate and cut out.

2. Place the cut out acetate on to another square of acetate then spread melted chocolate over the top.

3. Lift away the top piece of acetate so that you now have a chocolate leaf left on the bottom piece of acetate. Leave to set in a baguette tin or over a rolling pin so that the leaf sets curved.

What you need

Chocolate Leaves

R Squares of acetate

RTemplate of a leaf or several leaves

R Melted chocolate

R Cranked palette knife

RBaguette tin or rolling pin to shape leaves


Chocolate Flower

Creating the petals For best results, use a small pointed knife with a thin, flexible blade

1. Dip the end of a pointed knife into the melted chocolate then tap on the side of the bowl to remove excess chocolate.

2. Press the knife down onto the edge of a strip of parchment paper and pull away (make sure your parchment paper is positioned on the edge of your worktop so that you can pull away easily).

3. Continue in this way working along the parchment paper starting with small petals, moving onto medium then large petals for the outside of the flower. To make larger petals, simply dip more of the knife into the chocolate!

4. Pick the strip of parchment up with the petals on and carefully leave in a baguette tray to set.

Assembling the flower

When assembling a delicate chocolate decoration, we really recommend you use a chocolate and sugarwork freeze spray that instantly cools chocolate down when attaching pieces together. The spray usually comes with a precision nozzle so that you can spray directly and accurately where needed.

1. To assemble the flower, create a small chocolate circular base for the flower to sit on and leave to set.

2. Fill a piping bag with melted chocolate and starting with the smallest petals, attach a ring of petals close together onto the base. Pipe on melted chocolate to attach the petals then hold them in place and spray the freeze spray to set them quickly.

3. Attach a ring of medium sized petals then open the flower up and attach a ring of large petals to finish. Try to handle the chocolate as little as possible and remember to be gentle – this flower is extremely delicate. It is always advisable to make extra petals in case a couple break!

Chocolate Flower

R Small pointed knife

R Melted chocolate

RA narrow strip of baking parchment paper or acetate

R Baguette tin or curved former

RFood grade chocolate freeze spray

What you need


Chocolate Ribbons

To make chocolate ribbons, cut long narrow strips of acetate to the width and length of the chocolate ribbon decorations you require. Using a cranked palette knife is advisable as when spreading the chocolate over the acetate strips, it will not scrape against your worktop.

1. Dip your cranked palette knife into the melted chocolate, twist around so that you take up some chocolate onto your knife then spread over the strip of narrow acetate.

2. Use the end of a sharp knife to lift up one corner of the acetate, pick up, clean along the sides with your fingers and put to one side to start crystallising.

3. Leave for a couple of minutes until the chocolate is touch dry (this means the chocolate will have started to set, started to cloud over and be dry to the touch, not sticky).

4. Now the chocolate has started to set, you can shape the strip into ribbons and leave to set fully on your work top or in a baguette tin.

Chocolate Ribbons

R Strips of thin acetate

R Melted chocolate

R Cranked palette knife

R Baguette tin or curved former

Chocolate Filigree Ribbon

As well as making solid chocolate ribbons, you can make a filigree chocolate ribbon decoration by piping chocolate onto a strip of acetate in many different directions.

1. Cut a length of acetate the width and length of the chocolate ribbon you wish to make and lay on your work surface.

2. Fill a disposable piping bag with melted chocolate and cut a small hole in the end. To create the filigree you must pipe lines over the acetate back and forth in different directions:

• Pipe lines back and forth diagonally the entire length of the acetate one way.

• Pipe back along the acetate diagonal lines in the other direction.• Pipe across the acetate, widthways the entire length.• Lastly, pipe long lines lengthways across the width of the acetate.

3. Lift up the acetate and move to one side on your work top. Leave for a couple of minutes until touch dry then sit inside a metal ring (or shape as you wish) and leave to fully crystallise.

Chocolate Filigree Ribbon

R Melted chocolate

R Disposable piping bag

R Strips of acetate paper

R Metal ring


Chocolate Moulded Roses

You can buy ready made modelling chocolate or make your own (there are many good recipes online to follow). Knead the chocolate before use so that it is just soft enough to shape but not sticky.

1. To make the centre of the rose, roll some chocolate into a ball, then roll one end narrower to form a cone shape. Stand the cone shape up on your work top then with the sides of your fingers roll just above the bottom to create a dent in the cone.

2. For the petals, shape and roll the chocolate into a long sausage. Make one end of the sausage thinner than the other end. This will help create different sizes of rose petals.

3. Make even cuts all the way along the sausage then roll the chocolate pieces into balls keeping them in order of size – small for small petals, medium for medium petals and large for large petals!

4. Starting with the smallest ball, place it into the plastic bag and press down to flatten the chocolate slightly. Then press down firmly along one side only to create the fine petal, leaving the other side (the base) thicker.

5. Wrap the petal fully around the bud so that it covers it completely. You can press and mould the base of the petal into the chocolate so that it does not become too thick and bulky.

6. Add a ring of petals around the bud and first petal opening them up slightly then another ring of petals opening them up even more. Overlap each petal to give the rose a realistic look and on the last ring of petals, curl the edges back a little to look natural.

7. Cut the base of the rose off and leave to dry.

Assembling Your Decorations

When assembling any chocolate decorations, we recommend you use a chocolate and sugarwork freeze spray that instantly cools chocolate down when attaching pieces together. The spray usually comes with a precision nozzle so that you can spray directly and accurately where needed.

Use melted chocolate in a small piping bag to attach chocolate pieces to each other, then hold in place and spray on the freeze spray. This will set all your decorations in no time at all!

Chocolate Flower

R Modelling chocolate

R Sharp knife

RPlastic food bag (one that is made of quite firm plastic)

What you need


Notes To Remember

Work with your chocolate at the right temperature!

All chocolate will cool down between making the decorations but as long as you bring it back to the right temperature of 31/32C, it will set beautifully shiny and break with a snap! Chocolate work cannot be rushed, so patience is the key, melting the chocolate slowly.

Professional chocolate makers will most likely be working in a temperature controlled environment which means they can work with the chocolate any time and leave it out to set. If the weather is really hot, we recommend working with chocolate early in the day when it is cooler.

Stopping your chocolate bloom

Sugar bloom is caused by moisture coming into contact with the chocolate and when this happens the chocolate will lose its shine and look cloudy. Even though the chocolate may look like it has spoiled, it is still edible!

The most common cause of sugar bloom is when the chocolate has been placed in a fridge to set for too long. When taken out of the fridge, the cold chocolate will condense moisture from the air and condensation will form causing the chocolate to bloom. You can put your chocolate in the fridge to start crystallising, but we do not recommend any longer than 10 minutes.

Secondly, just be aware when melting your chocolate in hot water (and cooling it down in cold water) to wipe your chocolate bowl down with a tea towel – just in case a drop of water gets into the melted chocolate. Have a folded tea towel on your worktop too for the chocolate bowl to sit on.

Have fun and good luck!

a day of chocolate with le cordon bleu, london · ©cake decorating tv page 1 of 7 what you need a...

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