I have been taking the longest time to get this post up. Somehow I couldn’t find time to edit the pictures, no idea how to start writing and what to write. In fact, I took a while to get back to my usual routine after a topsy turvy month of work with crazy schedule and a good 8 days away. All I want those days are plenty of rest but all is well worth, it’s really a very fruitful trip made, working with colleagues from other countries and observing their culture. Unfortunately my Xmas bake sale was also totally disrupted, I had to put aside all the pretty baking cups, quinns etc that I bought for the festive season.
I have always wanted to attend chocolate making lessons, proper ones with tempering chocolate and not using compound melted chocolates and pour them into a mould. When I saw Chef Judy Koh of Creative Culinaire organising a Christmas Chocolate Making Class, I was really delighted and sign up for it. I’ve always enjoy her lessons, thou the class may be slightly big but it’s sure very informative and I like her way of conducting the lesson, she made things so easy and stress free that it’s only a piece of cake and reminding us not to get stress over it.
This is one of the dirtiest lesson I had, we had chocolates on hands, the table, arms etc and you could occasionally spot traces of chocolate on someone’s lips as well! Oops … not mine! We learnt how to temper chocolate which is really interesting! How to prepare the ganache, how to do moulding etc. It’s indeed a fruitful lesson with both theory and hands-on covered. On the other hand, I am so looking forward to the lesson that I bought my chocolate moulds during my overseas work trip even before I took the lesson, especially when there are so limited choices.
I bought more of Valrhona 55% Equatoriale and gotten the chocolate transfer sheet to try out too. It wasn’t as messy as I thought it will be but I didn’t do a good job here, have learnt how to improve the next time I try it again. I have not tried using compound chocolate to make chocolates so is not sure how it is like but I could say that this batch of handmade chocolate (thou not visually perfect) is smooth and silky! I like how you allow the chocolate to melt in the mouth slowly, the texture is smooth and silky that just glide down the throat. And there isn’t a tinge of “oily” taste too! For the orange truffle, it would have been better if orange zest is added to enhance the orange flavour.
e's joie 
Love Love love the chocolate… the orange truffle is to die for… will there be another post with more details?
These look gorgeous! I’d die for these truffles! Homemade always beat store-bought ones I think as they are always sealed with love! =)
Keep it up, gal!
Hi Cooking Foodie, thanks for dropping by. Hm … what other details would you like to know?
Hi Pei-Lin, it’s certainly very fun and of coz messy but there are certainly more flexibility like controlling the sweetness/bitterness of the chocolate 🙂
Hi Elyn,
I’m also a fan of Chef Judy Koh! I love her workshops and how generously she shares during her workshops. This chocolate workshop looks like something I would like to attend too! Thanks for this post! 🙂
WoW they look absolutely delish!!!!!!!