55609 chocolate sculpture jacques torres Recipes

bittersweet chocolate , tempered, see how to temper chocolate, method follows, how to temper chocolate, dessert circus , extraordinary desserts you can make at home by jacques torres, chocolate is tempered so that after it has been melted , it retains its gloss and hardens again without becoming chalky and white (that happens when the molecules of fat separate and form on top of the chocolate). there are a variety of ways to temper., easiest ways to temper chocolate is to chop it into small pieces and then place it in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time on high power until most of the chocolate is melted. be very careful not to overheat it. (the temperature of dark chocolate should be between 88 and 90 degrees f, slightly warmer than your bottom lip. it will retain its shape even when mostly melted. white and milk chocolates melt at a temperature approximately 2 degrees f less because of the amount of lactose they contain.) any remaining lumps will melt in the chocolate s residual heat. use an immersion blender or whisk to break up the lumps. usually, chocolate begins to set, or crystallize, along the side of the bowl. as it sets, mix those crystals into the melted chocolate to temper it. a glass bowl retains heat well and keeps the chocolate tempered longer., way to temper chocolate is called seeding. in this method, add small pieces of unmelted chocolate to melted chocolate. the amount of unmelted chocolate to be added depends on the temperature of the melted chocolate, but is usually 1/4 of the total amount. it is easiest to use an immersion blender for this, or a whisk., classic way to temper chocolate is called tabliering. two thirds of the melted chocolate is poured onto a marble or another cold work surface. the chocolate is spread out and worked with a spatula until its temperature is approximately 81 degrees f. at this stage, it is thick and begins to set. this tempered chocolate is then added to the remaining non-tempered chocolate and mixed thoroughly until the mass has a completely uniform temperature. if the temperature is still too high, part of the chocolate is worked further on the cold surface until the correct temperature is reached. this is a lot of work, requires a lot of room, and makes a big mess., a simple method of checking tempering, is to apply a small quantity of chocolate to a piece of paper or to the point of a knife. if the chocolate has been correctly tempered, it will harden evenly and show a good gloss within a few minutes.

white chocolate , tempered, modeling chocolate , dark chocolate, modeling chocolate , white chocolate, bittersweet chocolate , tempered

bittersweet chocolate , tempered, white chocolate , tempered, milk chocolate , tempered, cocoa butter, powdered food coloring, as desired, modeling chocolate, vegetable oil , for glossing the coat

bittersweet chocolate , tempered, white chocolate , tempered, milk chocolate , tempered

white chocolate , tempered, bittersweet chocolate , tempered, cocoa butter, melted, powdered food coloring, as needed, fruit jewels , recipe follows, plastic body mold from a display supply store, tube mold , poster tube can be used, plain plastic face mask from a party supply store, chunky applesauce, apricots, fresh or canned (and drained), peeled and pitted, sugar, plus extra for dusting, fresh raspberries , optional

plain tree branches, bittersweet chocolate , tempered, assorted items to hang from the tree , for example: cookies, petit fours, fresh fruits such as cherries or raspberries, orange peels, white chocolate leaves, etc.

white chocolate , tempered (how to temper chocolate), method follows, cocoa butter, melted, rubber stamps , a design of your choice, available at craft stores

flour for molding, as needed, bittersweet chocolate , tempered, vegetable oil, special equipment : wooden frame template

bittersweet chocolate , tempered, metal stencil leaf template and/or real leaves

white chocolate , tempered, bittersweet chocolate , tempered, milk chocolate , tempered, cocoa butter, powdered food coloring as desired, modeling chocolate, white

white chocolate , tempered, bittersweet chocolate , tempered, cocoa butter, bonbons , optional

white chocolate , tempered, cocoa butter, melted, powdered food coloring in various colors

bittersweet chocolate , tempered, cocoa butter , for spray painting

eggs, egg yolks, granulated sugar, honey, unbleached, unbromated pastry flour , sifted, cocoa powder (if making chocolate genoise)

cake flour, dutch-processed unsweetened cocoa powder, egg whites, sugar, egg yolks, slightly beaten, powdered sugar

unsweetened chocolate, bittersweet chocolate, butter, sugar, eggs, all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, walnuts, chopped, bittersweet chocolate, chopped

bittersweet chocolate, finely grated, whole dry milk powder, orange , zested, cinnamon , to taste, marshmallows , optional