Back to school, chocolate school

Back in April when Munchkin Features was three months (and I never thought I'd be able to leave the house again) my sewing buddy from way back saw one of those deals for a chocolate course and thought it'd make a great child-free day out. Well it took us a while to book in, but today we headed off to Middle Head, Mosman (la di da) to attend a three hour class at Sydney Chocolate School by Coco Chocolate.

The class was all about tempering chocolate. Now I don't know about you but when I think of tempering chocolate the first image that comes to mind is masterchef contestants; one hand desperately stirring their melted chocolate, the other grasping a thermometer, while they bite their lip in trepidation. Thankfully the method we learnt wasn't nearly as nerve racking but it did involve a number of implements that you wouldn't expect.

Number 1: A microwave for melting the chocolate (and here I was thinking I was uncouth for using the microwave method for all these years)
Number 2: A laser thermometer (which I imagine is also handy for taking the temperature of your children...don't even need them to stop wriggling)
Number 3: A marble bench top
Number 4: A paint scraper
Number 5: A heat gun

Basically you want to change the chemical structure of the chocolate by bringing it up to 40 degrees (in the microwave), then cooling it down to 27 (on the marble), then heat it up again slightly to 29 (using the heat gun).

Mmm, microwave melted chocolate (the secret is short bursts of heat and regular stirring) 

 Once you've cooled it and then reheated it's into the moulds...

   Or just spread out on a tray as a slab...

These ones we turned into curled flakes...

All in all, a wonderful morning, and a good excuse to wear my vintage tablecloth apron...

Mum bought this for me from a great little shop called Gingerlily Vintage Wares in the lovely little town of Alstonville (it's just starting to get a little groovy in my opinion, and not just because I'm about to move there!). Great idea for giving new life to an old piece of embroidery or tablecloth huh! How I managed to get chocolate on my white shirt despite my apron is beyond me!