Returning to Chocolate

I've been on hiatus from blogging for longer than I realized. It was surprising to log in this morning and see 2018 as the year of my last post. In 2023, I'm hoping to get back into blogging and trying new chocolate techniques, which was a focus of my writing in 2018 when I did my professional chocolatier course. 

The inspiration for this reorientation came late last year. As I was planning my four-piece chocolate box for the year, I turned to Ewald Notter's The Art of the Chocolatier and found a recipe for a cointreau truffle that used butter instead of cream. I decided to try it. I made a half batch and was thrilled with the results -- the ganache was easy to work with and the shelf life would be longer than one made with cream. 

I scooped the centres, refined the shape into a sphere, and then rolled them by hand in two coats of tempered chocolate. They were delicious. 

But while I had followed Notter's recipe, I didn't attempt his method, which called for piping the ganache onto a chocolate disc and then dipping the piece into tempered chocolate. The resulting truffle would have a sort of peaked dome shape. I didn't have the time to experiment with this technique before Christmas, but made a mental note that I should try it in the new year.

The cointreau truffle joined a spiced molasses honeycomb toffee enrobed in chocolate, a salted caramel enrobed in milk chocolate, and a white chocolate fruit and nut cup featuring dried cranberries and pistachios. I packaged 24 boxes to give out to family, friends, and colleagues. They were a hit.

Over Christmas, I reflected on my chocolate training, as well as my desire to continue learning new techniques and to maintain what I've already learned. I decided that the best way to do this wouldn't be to register in another course, but to commit to self-directed study. Notter's book is the assigned reading for Monday nights going forward. And I'm excited to try new recipes and techniques in the not-so-distant future!

And that means, I hope, the return of this blog.

Happy 2023!