The French Pastry School-Week Twelve - Chocolate Sculpture

                                                              L'Art de la Pâtisserie  Week 12

Chocolate Showpiece week with Chef Patrice Caillot

Partner-Jamie     Table 5   Kitchen 1

Monday

• Using tempered chocolate is most important.
• Weight is the only limit to height.
• Showpiece should finish thin on top.
• Draw the eye upward with movement and lightness.
• Carving shapes or using molds is acceptable.
• Flowers should look like they are floating.
• Vinyl sheets are good for chocolate and sugar work.
• Dark chocolate is good for the base.  It is stronger than other chocolates.
• Cocoa butter color can be painted or air brushed onto showpiece.
• Hand crafting shows more skill than using molds.

• Choose a theme.
• Make a drawing.  Put ideas on paper.
• May a 3D replica of showpiece using foam or cardboard.  This gives a concrete idea of volume.
• Use earthy colors that go with chocolate; orange, red, green.  Not blue, pink or purple.
• Base should be dark so it fades into the background.
• Keep the lines of the showpiece clean and pure.

• Poly carbonate molds make really shiny spheres.
• Molds should be 22-25ºc when casting chocolate.
• Chocolate should sit for 24 hours before it is use on the showpiece.
• Work clean.
• Gloves may make hands hotter.

Competition Suggestions:

• Assemble showpiece as late in the game as possible.  
• Surprise affect is very important.
• Do not freak out at the end.
• Do not stick too much on the showpiece.
• Go slow.  It is not a race.
• Respect the center of gravity.
• Off center pieces may break off.
• Chocolate is heavy.
• Carry showpieces from their base.

Components for Showpiece:

• Fill tart rings half way; 160mm, 180mm, 100mm, small dome, larger dome.
• Place in chocolate cooler.
• Fill larger dome to the top.
• Shake and tap board to remove bubbles from poured chocolate.
• Bubbles can cause a weakness in the structure and could encourage breakage.
• The chocolate does not need to be perfectly smooth at this stage.
• After the domes have been in the cooler for 15 minutes, but off the crusted top one inch from the edge. 
• Drain liquid chocolate.
• Place back in chocolate cooler.
• Once chocolate discs and domes have set, slide off the molds and rings.
• Chocolate constricts and removing shapes from molds should be easy.

Petals for Chocolate Flower:

• Do not make petals too thick or they will look heavy.
• Do not make petals too thin for they will be too difficult to place.
• Use three size pairing knives.
• Place acetate strip on edge of table.
• Dip knife into melted, tempered chocolate.
• Scrape the back of the knife clean.
• Press and drag the knife on acetate sheet.
• Make center of petal thick to build strength.
• Make more petals than necessary to account for breakage.
• Place in shaper mold.
• Dark chocolate can be sprayed with color later.
• Place in chocolate cooler.

Artist's palette knives are available at craft stores.  Play with different knives to create different effects.

This is the zen week in pastry.  No need to rush.  Be calm.

Stephan Leroux is a master chocolate showpiece artist.  He uses repurposed tools from the hardware store.  His book, Chocolate Matter - Matiere Chocolat (English), is the gold standard.

Tuesday

Robot Coupe White Chocolate for Flower Center:

• Chop white chocolate in robot coupe by pulsing.
• Should be consistency of wet sand.
• Add a little yellow cocoa butter.
• Lightly pack into small sphere molds.
• Keep the texture of the chocolate by not packing too hard.
• Spread bottom with offset spatula.
• Place in chocolate cooler.

Robot Coupe White Chocolate Curls for Showpiece:

• Clean, cool table.
• White board lined with parchment.
• Use hands.  This is the best tool.
• Add chocolate pistoles to robo coupe.
• Chop until chocolate reaches play dough consistency.
• Test by pressing chocolate together.
• Roll soft chocolate into log.
• Start to shape into longer, tapered snake.
• Curls should be thick and one end and super fine at the other.
• Use thick end of curl to left onto white board.
• Form shape around a cake ring.
• Cut end to make it even.
• Place finished curls in chocolate cooler.

Chocolate Rose Petals Using Chocolate Curler:

• The ideal room temperature to work is 20-25ºc.
• Pour a line of chocolate on table.
• Spread out with an offset spatula.
• Do not spread too thick.
• Do not spread too thin.
• Chocolate is ready when it does not stick to finger.
• Pull curling tool through chocolate.  
• Place petals on parchment line sheet tray.
• Place petals in chocolate cooler.

Wednesday

Assembling Chocolate Flower:

• Wear gloves.
• Torch table to warm it up.
• Rub half spheres on warm spot and stick them together.
• Use a small amount of melted chocolate to glue sphere to larger chocolate half sphere.
• Dip smallest petals into tempered chocolate.
• Place small petal around center.
• Petals should overlap slightly.
• Repeat with rows of medium and large petals.  
• Each petal should be offset with the petal above it.
• Use enough chocolate so that the petals hold.
• Do not use too much chocolate which can be messy.

Making Abstract Chocolate Leaves:

• Stick brand new acetate sheet to plexiglass with a little water.
• Warm two cocoa butter colors to 35ºc.
• Use an artist sponge to spread thin layer of colored cocoa butter.
• Blend the colors to make a pretty new color.
• Allow cocoa butter to set.
• Pour chocolate on one end of acetate.
• Spread chocolate evenly with an offset spatula.
• Allow chocolate to set a little.
• Press various size circle cutters.
• Leaves should be super thin.
• Place parchment on top of chocolate layer.
• Place another plexiglass on top of parchment.
• Flip it all over.
• Place in chocolate cooler overnight.

Chocolate Ribbon:

• Place acetate strip on table.
• Wipe colored cocoa butter on length of acetate.
• Pour chocolate over length of acetate.
• Spread evenly with offset spatula.
• Lift acetate up, clean edges and set on clean area of table.
• Wait until chocolate sets.
• Cut 6" lengths.
• Shape into loops.
• Place on parchment lined tray.
• Place in chocolate cooler overnight.

Making the ribbon thin looks pretty but thicker is better for strength.

Thursday

Building Chocolate Flower from Chocolate Curls:

• Gather curls.
• Organize curls by shape and size.
• On a cake board, pipe 2" diameter circle of tempered chocolate.
• Place thicker, bottom petals in circular configuration.
• Place next row of smaller petals between first row of petals.
• Fill in petals until flower is full.
• Place center curl in middle of flower.
• Place in freezer.
• Spray with red cocoa butter for a velvety effect.
• Store in chocolate cooler for 24 hours.

Smaller Chocolate Rose:

• Mix 3-4% vegetable oil with melted chocolate.
• Spread onto warm metal tray.
• Using a very flexible pairing knife, bend and scrape chocolate into a curl.
• Place and build flowers as you go.
• Place in chocolate cooler overnight.

Building Chocolate Showpiece:

• Double check that work table is stable and level.
• On a piece of parchment, line up all the design elements.
• Clean edges of elements with a vegetable peeler.
• Polish design elements with foam to smooth out nicks and scratches.
• Use torch to heat up table.
• Rub chocolate elements to create more surface are on connecting points.
• On a cake board, place smaller chocolate disc.
• Using a parchment cone, pipe chocolate to glue smaller dome to disc.
• Pipe chocolate to reinforce seam. 
• Use finger to smooth out seam.
• Add the next dome and disc and make sure that they are level and sturdy.
• Step back occasionally to gain perspective.
• Use tempered chocolate to glue long scroll onto top of base.  Make sure scroll is centered, straight and balanced.
• Clean all seams and edges with hands or foam.
• Do not move or bump table while working or showpiece may crack.
• Place in chocolate cooler for 2 hours.
• Spray with brown cocoa butter to create a finished look.
• Optimal temp for spraying chocolate showpiece is 23-25ºc.

Friday

Recurring Stage

Floriol- 1220 W. Webster Ave, Chicago, Illinois

7:00am - 12:00pm  Owner: Sandra Holl    

There were many new people in the kitchen today so it was a lot busier and more talkative than usual.  My jobs were to butter muffin tins, butter Madeleine tins, fill Pot De Créme jars for baking in a water bath and cleaning, pitting and slicing a huge bin of fresh plums.

My take to school choices from the bakery case were the Almond Croissant and the Olive Oil cake.  The olive oil cake was not only delicious, but one of the more satisfying bakery I have eaten.  They place berries on the top and the whole cake is super moist and creamy.

Finishing Chocolate Showpiece:

• Do not add too much to the showpiece just because you have the extra parts.
• Wear gloves.
• Choose the best ribbons, flowers and leaves.
• Use paper cone and tempered chocolate to stick the elements to the showpiece base.
• Place large yellow flower first.
• Scratch the dome with knife.
• Pipe chocolate onto the dome.
• Place flower and hold until it sets.
• Place red flower next using same method.
• Apply the upward facing curls.
• Stay close to center of showpiece for balance.
• Add side curls next.

Adding Chocolate Ribbons to Showpiece:

• Peel acetate off of loops.
• Dip end of loop into tempered chocolate.
• Place around base of flowers and curls.
• Hold until set.

Adding Chocolate Leaves to Showpiece:

• Peel acetate from sheet of chocolate leaves.
• Pull different size circle from sheet and place on clean parchment.
• Choose different sizes and colors to create variety.
• Place circles between ribbons, flowers and curls to fill in piece.
• Hod each circle until set.

Do not shake or move your work table.  Newly set chocolate will crack and break.

Verbal Evaluation:

My best week yet.  I received a ten out of ten and Chef Patrice told me to keep up the good work.  We discussed how communication affects all aspects of working well in the kitchen.  The kitchen rules are important for producing the most clean and beautiful work product.  

I carried my chocolate showpiece home on the bus.  As you can imagine, I got a lot of funny looks and a few good questions.  It is hard to believe that it is ALL chocolate!