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Chocolate Class (nom nom nom)

scrapsandsass

scrapsandsass

Oh Ricky you're so fine ...
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Feb 11, 2011
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So my daughter is a baker at a casino. And for awhile, she was doing chocolates for the fine dining restaurant there. She found a "local" chocolate class that she wanted to take to learn more about molding and finishes and stuff, so she signed up. They had a deal, so she signed me up too.

We went last night, and it was so much fun! She ended up sort of being teacher's pet because she had chocolate experience and no one else really did.

It was sheer TORTURE though because we were standing right next to the chocolate tempering machine. There was a ladle in it, and I swear I wanted to just pull an Augustus Gloop and drink it straight out of the machine because it smelled sooooooo good.

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I was able to maintain my sense of decorum however. :giggle There was this elderly couple, and every time the husband filled the molds, he'd get chocolate on his hands and lick it off gleefully. They were so cute!

We made dark chocolate shells with a dark chocolate/faintest-hint-of-raspberry ganache filling. We learned some cool techniques and some airbrushing and different things. Some of them came out so pretty. (I'll have to post a pic later.) Even though I didn't get to do what I wanted to do, it was still fun.

It was hard because the class was unexpectedly full. He usually only has 4-5 people, but last night's class somehow had 13 and some of the people were late so we didn't get started on time. There really wasn't enough room or time to try things. And about 1/3 of the people were obnoxious and would just take things away from you, hog limited supplies, or not care about anyone else so it made it difficult for everyone. Like I had a scallop mold at my spot, and then I went to grab a transfer sheet, came back, and one of the people had taken my spot and my mold, and she just didn't care. Then there was a crazy lady and a crazy guy who dominated the majority of the instruction time asking really ridiculous questions that didn't even make sense. Then nearing the end of class, there wasn't a lot of ganache and things were getting late, so the instructor said we could fill about 15 chocolates per person, but the obnoxious woman did about three times that amount, so this 11-year old girl who was getting the class as a b-day gift from her aunt didn't have ganache to fill hers. Like really people? Ugh. The instructor was really nice though and quickly made up a little more so the little girl could finish.

Now I want to make a bunch of chocolates at home! And it totally made me miss the cake classes we took one year at Michael's.

What about you? Have you ever taken a chocolate/candy/cooking/baking class? What did you learn? Do you put those things into practice?
 
oh no, I would be the obnoxious one! lol just kidding, but that is crazy amount of people for a hands on class
I think about taking classes, (lol, two more classes just for my degree) but never seem to have the Me time (YET!)
 
That sounds fun (except for the selfish people)! So I guess I should say, It sounds like you had fun! :)
I haven't taken a cooking class but I really should. I don't like to cook, and part of it is that I don't know what works with what, or what to substitute in order to make the dish still taste like it should (like, if I'm out of basil, could I use thyme? IDK!). So I need, like, a Science of Cooking class... something that covers the basics of both the ingredients and the techniques (like, "This is an onion and here's how to dice it" lol) and then explains WHY the basics work together in certain combos (like, "This is a tomato and here's how to make pasta sauce"). This is probably stuff other women learn cooking with their mom in the kitchen but my mother hated cooking. *shrugs* Too bad there isn't a place like that around here where I could take a class. It would be nice!
 
Mmm...yum. I've never taken a cooking class except home-ec in jr high, & that was more about budgets. I love to cook though. I really like making homemade gummies with different flavors of Jell-O. I like chocolate, but I love gummies. The best was the time I used mango Jell-O.
Boo to the rude people in the class.
 
That sounds fun (except the rude people)! I haven't taken a cooking class since Home Ec in 1984 (junior high) but I have taken a couple knitting classes. It was fabulous! The first class had two students and the second only me! I got lots of personalized attention.
 
That sounds wonderful ... except for the obnoxious people. They're everywhere.

I've not done anything like that before, but I would love to take a sushi making class!
 
y_baros said:
@scrapsandsass my address is 1650....oh, that's not what you were asking?? well, this is awkward :backing
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Oh no!! Those chocolates are coming to MY house first!!!! Oh, ok, I'll let you have ONE!!!

Goodness, I could write a book. Started cake decorating classes back in 1977 and it took off from there, cake classes, candy classes and I ended up having my own business for 20 years. It sure was fun!! Love playing with the chocolate, although I don't think the classes I took were as involved as yours. Would love to find a class like that. How sad that there are people that have to ruin things for others.
 
Oh I did cake decorating classes in 4H when I was a kid. Then when I moved out on my own I took another cake decorating class...and then I ended up working in a local grocery story bakery. You guessed it...decorating cakes! LOL I love it!
 
KatrinaHunt13 said:
Oh I did cake decorating classes in 4H when I was a kid. Then when I moved out on my own I took another cake decorating class...and then I ended up working in a local grocery story bakery. You guessed it...decorating cakes! LOL I love it!
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Ditto here, but the only thing I didn't like about the grocery store cake decorating is I was timed! I mean, really??? Cake decorating is like art work! You can't rush it! But they had this book that gave instructions including how many cakes you must produce per hour! Yeah, I didn't last long there!
 
NancyP said:
Ditto here, but the only thing I didn't like about the grocery store cake decorating is I was timed! I mean, really??? Cake decorating is like art work! You can't rush it! But they had this book that gave instructions including how many cakes you must produce per hour! Yeah, I didn't last long there!
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Oh we didn't have that!!!! Thank goodness!!!! LOL I would have been in trouble!
 
Hubby just mentioned again last night that he wants us to take cooking classes to learn new things. I've taken several - some with my mom, one with my sister and they were so much fun. I taught myself cake decorating and have never had an interest in doing it for others! A chocolate class would be so yummy!!! I'm the rude person who calls the ruder person on her rudeness. I'm brutal like that. My mother won't ever let me near the hospital if she's in one b/c I don't tolerate nurses/doctors/whomever not treating her right. Which is funny, b/c if it is me in there, I'm quiet and meek. I learned my lesson the hard way. Nurses can make your life a living hell if they don't like you! And now I'm totally off topic. Yay for chocolate class!
 
SO fun Kimberlee! Sorry you had rude people though- that makes it tough! I have never taken any classes but SO want to! I bake/decorate cupcakes for friends/family so I think a class would be worth it for me ;) #offtolookatmichaelsschedule
 
AnneofAlamo said:
I think about taking classes, (lol, two more classes just for my degree) but never seem to have the Me time (YET!)
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Yep this is so me, I actually want to take a sign language class after I move but whether I have the money for it I'm not sure as its $75 per term
 
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I haven't, but I've always thought it would be something that I would enjoy. How fun to be able to share that with your daughter. Those obnoxious people, ughhh, it seems like there has to be a couple in every crowd.
 
Wow, that's incredibly rude of that woman! But it sounds like a lovely idea, especially to get to do it together. I confess, I love cooking, but baking or candy/sweet making is not my thing. I have no patience for any of it. I like a brownie or a muffin that I can throw in a pan and be done with it! If it involves fancy techniques or skill with food, I don't go near it.

I can't wait to see the photos though ... you have to share!
 
Tree City said:
That sounds fun (except for the selfish people)! So I guess I should say, It sounds like you had fun! :)
I haven't taken a cooking class but I really should. I don't like to cook, and part of it is that I don't know what works with what, or what to substitute in order to make the dish still taste like it should (like, if I'm out of basil, could I use thyme? IDK!). So I need, like, a Science of Cooking class... something that covers the basics of both the ingredients and the techniques (like, "This is an onion and here's how to dice it" lol) and then explains WHY the basics work together in certain combos (like, "This is a tomato and here's how to make pasta sauce"). This is probably stuff other women learn cooking with their mom in the kitchen but my mother hated cooking. *shrugs* Too bad there isn't a place like that around here where I could take a class. It would be nice!
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Not a class, but one of the best cook books for techniques is the America's test kitchen Family cookbook one. They give you the tips, tell you why it is important to use butter, or that it doesn't matter if you use butter, things like that. Even though I had done a lot of cooking I still found their book great, and have liked everything we tried(unless i didn't like the food category in the first place)(and I don't work for them :)
 
@catschwartz thanks for the cookbook recommendation! I think my issue is that I need to know the Why and usually a cookbook doesn't tell you that info but it sounds like the American test kitchen book does. Yea! I'm adding it to Mt Amazon wish list.
 
Tree City said:
@catschwartz thanks for the cookbook recommendation! I think my issue is that I need to know the Why and usually a cookbook doesn't tell you that info but it sounds like the American test kitchen book does. Yea! I'm adding it to Mt Amazon wish list.
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Let me know if you like it, that way i will have a better idea if I should keep recommending it :)
 
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