Vero Chocolate Master Class Hong Kong

Recently, I left my design job and was given a going-away present - a gift certificate to attend the “Vero Chocolate Master Class”. They hold a 3-hour master class each month, where you learn to temper chocolate and make Ganache accompanied by free flowing Prosecco. 

I have mixed feelings about the class. When I arrived I was told that I was the only person enrolled; I thought this would be great one-on-one instruction. The course started off excellently. I was introduced to chef Katherine who was very knowledgeable and friendly, and she instructed me in making some lovely dark chocolates with dark chocolate Ganache filling.

However, after finishing the chocolates I was told that we were finished, which was a surprise as I had only been there 1 hour, but had been signed up for a 3-hour course!  I was offered more Prosecco and chocolates, and invited to sit in the empty bar, but after witnessing almost all the staff leave I felt like I might be locked in for the night so I left as well!  So, if you decide to attend this course, make sure to specify that you want 3 hours of instruction, and if you are the only person enrolled get someone to meet you for the drinks afterwards!  All in all, the chocolates were amazing and the instruction was very informative; I just wish the course had been longer...

I sent an email to complain about how short the course was and this was the reply that I received:
"Thank you for your feedback and email. If you had brought this to my attention the other night perhaps I could have done something for you. I apologize if you were disappointed or dissatisfied." 
Pretty pathetic considering how short the course was....

Anyways, this is how the class went: When I arrived, I was served a glass of Prosecco and given my own chef's jacket with my name embroidered, and a chef's hat. I was taken into the kitchen to meet the chef, Katherine Li. Katherine offered me a selection of chocolates to try and described the chocolate that we would be making, a dark chocolate with a dark chocolate Ganache filling in the shape of a coco bean.  This is the recipe that we used:

Equipment

marble slab

chocolate melter

polycarbonate chocolate mold

infrared laser thermometer

metal tray with wire rack

pastry scraper

ladle

rubber scraper

offset spatula

Ingredients

1 - Shell

step 6

500g dark chocolate

2 - Ganache (filling)

150g dark chocolate

100g cream

10g unsalted butter

1. Chop 500g of chocolate into small, even pieces; melt at low heat until chocolate is 45°c (we used a chocolate melter).
2. Take chocolate mold and wipe inside with cotton pad to remove any contamination.
3. Spoon 3 ladles of chocolate onto marble slab and use offset spatula to work the chocolate around the slab until it has cooled.
4. Lower heat on chocolate melter to 26°c - 28°c.
5. Add cool chocolate to remaining chocolate in melter and stir with rubber scraper until chocolate is 32°c.
6. Spoon chocolate over mold and fill up to top - it will run over the sides.  
7. With wire rack and metal tray underneath, hit mold against tray until no more bubbles come through the chocolate. 
8. Turn mold over and hit 4 times against wire rack then flip over and leave to harden. 
9. Make Ganache (see below).
10. Scrape top of chocolate mold with pastry scraper. 
11. Pipe in Ganache so that mold is 80% full
12. Cover with chocolate and scrape.
13. Put in freezer for 10 minutes to harden.   
14. Turn mold over and hit with handle of offset spatula until chocolates fall out.

 Ganache

1. Take 150g of dark chocolate; heat to 45°c.
2. Heat cream until it just starts to steam.
3. Add cream to chocolate in 3 parts and stir with rubber spatula.
4. In another bowl, combine butter, and some of the chocolate and cream mixture, and mix with spatula until there are no lumps. 
5. Add butter and chocolate mixture, back to remaining chocolate and cream mixture, and stir. 
6. Spoon into piping bag.