Chocolate Show 2014 | London

It is that time of the year again. It's Salon du Chocolat's second year in London which has now been renamed to Chocolate Show instead. Salon du Chocolat in Paris has always been massive and very successful. They will be celebrating the 20th anniversary this year so it will be even better this time around with over 500 participants from all over the world. 

As much as I would love to be in Paris, I have prioritised myself to attend one of my closest friend's wedding in Spain so I am sure I will be able to experience it through my fellow blogger friends when it is all over.

Instead of attending the Paris event, I have opted for the London Chocolate Show since we have been invited to attend the Gala on Thursday. The first thing I realised was the slight change in venue to a smaller space Olympia West instead of the main exhibition hall.

We managed to have a wonder around, have a few bites of chocolate and mingle before the Fashion Show began. We noticed some main chocolatier / brands not exhibiting. Saying that, the chocolates we tasted were still of quality.

Willy Wonka cast from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Musical opened the show

When the show started, we were braced with Willy Wonka from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Musical opening the show. I thought that was great and a pleasant surprise. Next up was the dance performance by a group of dancers painted with chocolate images on their bare skin.

I could not keep my eyes off those chocolate painted six packs. Hah! 

Next up were the Fashion Show and a sneak peak. There were less than 10 chocolate dresses on the catwalk so I was slightly disappointed, to be honest. Lucky there were some chocolate dresses worth seeing. 

The dress in collaboration between Lindt chocolate and Paul Wayne Gregory. The dress is covered with sprayed on chocolate.

The dress covered in Chocolate squares, made by Anita Thakker of Fruitful Blooms

At the Chocolate Show, I personally enjoyed the Chocolate Theatre the most last year. And this year, there are a list of talented chocolatiers and chefs demonstrating which I think is worth watching. Do check the schedule so you don't miss the demonstrations you would like to attend. Make sure you get to the theatre slightly before the time it starts to find yourself a seat to enjoy it to the fullest. 

Not to miss are Francois Delaire of L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon, Barry Johnson of Rococo, Hideko Kawa ex-head pastry chef of The Fat Duck, and many more of your choice.

Not forgetting, we spotted the talented contestants from Great British Bake Off!

And we went home with some of these dried cocoa beans

Chocolate Show London

Olympia West

Hammersmith Road Kensington
17th - 19th October 2014

  

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Desir du Chocolat for Magnum

A chocolate enthusiast and a designer myself, what best way to combine both interest than to be able to design chocolate! Yes, speaker designer by day and chocolate designer by night. My feet is actually dancing away while typing this. It will be the greatest thing ever if I can combine the love of salsa too. But hey, we can’t possibly have everything. Merging two into one is already a dream come true.

The making of Magnum's couture chocolate hat

Magnum's couture chocolate hat

Joining Desir du Chocolat has been one of the best thing that has happened recently. I have met many new people with great passion in translating their design through chocolate. Plus, there is always supply of chocolate when the craving kicks in. Sketching chocolate can’t be any better than this. My first creation is the Chocolate Couture Hat for Magnum. 

Ribbon hat for Desir du Chocolat

We were commissioned to create chocolate bow tie, couture hat and wearable chocolate dress for Magnum's 25th anniversary. It was a great pleasure to see the designs unfold, along with the chocolate dress which was a collaboration with fashion designer Henry Holland. 

Chocolate bow tie

The chocolate dress and Henry Holland (Image via Vogue)

Desir du Chocolat website

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Les Deux Magots for best hot chocolate | Paris

When I was promised that Les Deux Magots makes the best hot chocolate, I was doubtful. As I uttered, “That was a big statement” giving him my unconvinced gaze, I did not have high hopes. I would think they will serve a good cup of hot chocolate. The best!? Is that really possible? 

As we entered, we were shown to one of their tiny tables with only a hand width apart from the next table. The two Parisian ladies had their eyes on me, staring up and down. Who knows what was going on in their heads; either I had some sort of mud all over me or that they were in awe of my stunning self. I will like to believe it is the latter.

So here came a pot with two empty cups. As we poured the silky chocolate liquid that was thick with a perfect consistency, the alluring smell wafted through my breathing tubes. So far, it has captured many of my senses. Then came the ultimate form of judgement, taste! I lifted the cup close to my lips and couldn't help but took a long inhalation to soak up all there was to smell. One sip, and my eyes went “ding!” wide open, sat up straight, smiled, sip again and then the sound of jackpot hits every part of my senses! It was one memorable courtship with this extraordinary warm chocolate liquid.

Smile..

I have had a fair share of good hot chocolates and well, this has been the best so far.

This is one famous cafe, where the likes of Pablo Picasso and Ernest Hemingway were patrons of.

Frown..

It's not in London!! :( 

Will I return?

Oui Oui Oui!!

Les Deux Magots

6 Place Saint-Germain des Prés,

75006 Paris, France

Tel: +33 145 485 525

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Macadamia & Cranberry Dark Chocolate Bark

For those of you who already read yesterday's post about the Freeze-dried Raspberry Dark Chocolate Bark, this is a similar recipe. Only, this one has different toppings just to show you how flexible and easy it is to make. It truly takes only a few of your precious minutes. The best part is minimal washing up after, and they look pretty!

Macadamia & Cranberry Dark Chocolate Bark

Ingredients:

• 200g dark chocolate
• Macadamia nuts & dried cranberries (about 1 cup)

Method:

1.  Break the chocolate into pieces and melt in a bain-marie while stirring.
2.  Alternatively, you can also put the broken pieces of chocolate in a bolt and melt in the microwave.
3.  Pour melted chocolate on a baking tray or flat surface lined with parchment paper.
4.  Sprinkle the macadamia nuts and cranberries on top of the melted chocolate.
5.  Gently push the nuts and fruits down with your palm.
6.  Let the chocolate cool and harden then break them into large pieces.
7.  Wrap them nicely with some tissue paper and place in a box.
8.  Then tie a ribbon around the box and present as a gift.

Tip:

• This recipe can be easily doubled or multiplied to make more.

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Raspberry Dark Chocolate Bark

How does edible gift sound to you? This one is to impress your friends with little to no effort at all. All you need is some chocolate and toppings of your choice. You can go with the classic chocolate and nuts or chocolate with cranberries but you can also do better with some fancier ingredients like freeze dried fruits which I have used here. If you are not sure what that is, it is the same dried fruit used in Kellogg's Special K Cereal. Well, you don't have to pick out the fruits from the cereal box as you can get them online or from Waitrose.

Freeze dried fruits are great as they are dry but still maintain its vibrant colour, and is very crispy with intense flavour of the fruit. So in this recipe, it gives the lively colour and contrast along with some added texture.

Raspberry Dark Chocolate Bark

Ingredients:

• 200g dark chocolate
• freeze dried raspberries (about 1 cup)

Method:

1.  Break the chocolate into pieces and melt in a bain-marie while stirring.
2.  Alternatively, you can also put the broken pieces of chocolate in a bolt and melt in the microwave.
3.  Pour melted chocolate on a baking tray or flat surface lined with parchment paper.
4.  Sprinkle the raspberries on top of the melted chocolate and gently push them down with your palm.
5.  Let the chocolate cool and harden then break them into large pieces.
6.  Wrap them nicely with some tissue paper and place in a box.
7.  Then tie a ribbon around the box and present as a gift.

Tip:

• This recipe can be easily doubled or multiplied to make more.

Have fun making them! Show me some pictures too if you like. 

    

   

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'The Birth of Unexpected Seduction' , my chocolate sketch for TowerHotel

Create a chocolate recipe for Tower Hotel's Brasserie Restaurant?! I'm in!!

I recently found out about a competition organised by Guoman Hotel to create a chocolate recipe for one of their hotel restaurants. The winner will see his/her recipe be realised and featured on the restaurant menu for at least a month. And winner gets to create this dish alongside the head chef in his kitchen!

"To celebrate the stage adaptation of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (directed by Oscar winning director Sam Mendes) we’re offering you the chance to create a chocolate recipe for The Tower hotel’s Brasserie Restaurant menu and win a personal chocolate tutorial in a professional kitchen…"

More details about this creative competition is found here.

This is such an amazing opportunity that even with the slightest amount of time I have left, I came up with a chocolate trio. All three has its contrasting flavours that you probably think will never taste good together but actually works! I've tried some of these flavour combinations before, but not necessary in this form.

The Birth of Unexpected Seduction

I've named these trio of chocolate 'The Birth of Unexpected Seduction' because I think these are contrasting flavours that is a marriage of beautiful smooth juicy sweetness that explodes in your mouth. Opposite attracts. Also, they look like eggs and the yolk in this chocolate dessert is where the unexpected surprises you.

Assembly

The untested theory to make these three chocolate spheres:

1. Pour the thyme and candy mixture into a spherical mould and let set in the fridge
2. Stuff a mint leaf into a whole seedless lychee.
3. On the second lychee, gently push a frozen raspberry into the the hollow section of the lychee.
4. Place both the filled lychee into a container and let it freeze in the freezer.
5. Prepare three separate chocolate ganache while the fruits are freezing.
6. Once frozen, prepare the dark chocolate coating.
7. Melt the chocolate on a bain-marie then dip the two lychees and thyme jelly ball into the melted chocolate. Set aside to let the chocolate set.
8. Cover the coated fruits with the ganache and gently roll into round balls and dip into melted chocolate.
9. Put aside until chocolate coating is set. Cut into halves and serve.

Presentation

The trio are made into spheres. Each spheres will be cut into halves to expose the beautiful interior with the flat section facing upwards or diagonally. As there is no flat base, it will be best to sit on dots of chocolate or fruity mousse so they don't roll about on the plate.

Here goes my chocolate creation to celebrate Sam Mendes's adaptation of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with Guoman Hotel. Do share your thoughts about this creation and hopefully I will be able to make these trio into a reality.

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Chocolate Dorayaki (Japanese pancake sandwich with chocolate custard)

Dorayaki is a Japanese traditional dessert, often found in Japanese restaurants and shops. Red bean paste filling (called anko in Japanese) is usually sandwiched between two pancakes. But there are many modern versions of it these days. So I would like to share my take on this great portable dessert, easy to be packed in the Bento box for lunch.



If you used to watch Doraemon while growing up, you will know that Dorayaki is the cute little blue round cat's favourite dessert. From the image above, you can tell how much he loves THEM!

Dorayaki with Chocolate Creme Patissiere

(Japanese Pancake with Chocolate Custard)
Makes about 30 x 3" pancakes / 14 dorayaki

Ingredients:

For chocolate crème patissière (custard):

• 330ml milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 tbs cocoa powder
• 75g caster sugar
• 4 egg yolks
• 25g flour

For the pancakes:

Pancake recipe from Simply June

• 4 eggs
• 2 tbs honey
• 1/2 cup caster sugar
• 1 cup plain flour
• 1 tbs water
• butter to slightly grease the pan

Methods:

1.  First, make the chocolate custard so it has time to cool.

2.  Pour the milk and vanilla extract into a heavy based pot and bring to boil, be careful not to burn it.

3.  Once milk is boiled, remove from heat and set aside.

4.  In a bowl,whisk the egg yolks and sugar until pale yellow then whisk in the flour until combined.

5.  Sift in the flour and cocoa powder and mix well to combine.

6.  Slowly pour the hot milk in a small stream into the bowl while whisking.

7.  Pour them back into the pot and bring to boil on medium heat while whisking constantly for about 1 minute or until thickened.

8.  Remove from heat and transfer into a bowl. Cover with greaseproof paper or sprinkle some icing sugar over the top to prevent a skin from forming. Set aside to cool. Refrigerate.

9.  Once the chocolate custard is made, it is time to make the little fluffy pancakes.

10. For the pancake methods, please refer to Simply June's very well explained post.

11. When the beautifully circle pancakes are done, sandwich 2 almost identical pancake circles with generous amount of chocolate custard.

Note:

• You can always replace the chocolate custard with filling of your choice. Be creative.

• To make sure the pancake is of an even colour, make sure the pan is greased lightly with a kitchen towel and that your pan is not too hot. If too much oil is used, it will cause the pancakes to have bubbly effect on the pancake surface.

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Daskalidès cafe, a chocolate gem

Somehow, I have a special magnetic field to chocolate. The store filled with chocolates sucked me towards its shop window and upon browsing through the very tempting chocolates and nougats, we saw a staircase with a sign that says Daskalidès Cafe downstairs. Looks like we found an almost hidden gem.



Daskalidès is a Belgian chocolatier and has stores around the world. This is their London flagship store and cafe, also their first store in UK which just opened in June 2012. The store owner mentioned we will be embraced with more stores. This rather new cafe was so pleasant to be in; calm and light, also chic with the bright chartreuse yellow sofa and hanging copper pendant lights.

A small brick wall arch section in the cafe with boxes of chocolates on display and other goodies.

Dark chocolate fondue with marshmallows and cookies; Before

Chocolate fondue; During.

As much as I like marshmallows, I preferred the rolled cookies as a light sinking of teeth makes it crumble and melts with the warm chocolate. It gets better when eaten with the sugar toasted hazelnuts.

Very decadent chocolate fondue and chocolate moelleux (in the midst) with soft gooey centre.

The smooth hot chocolate is their speciality so remember to have this when you drop in. They have dark or milk hot chocolate to cater for your liking. There is even spiced hot chocolate with cinnamon or chilli, or with cream and marshmallows for when you feel naughty.

Smile..

Decadent and lovely ambience, even has free wifi. They even serve breakfast here, with Croque Monsieur and Croque Madame on the menu.

Frown..

The books on the shelves are purely for decorative purposes. They are only book covers and are stuck together, so not readable.

Will I return?

Who will say no to chocolate decadence!!?

Daskalidès

76 Long Acre
London WC2E 9JS
Tel: +44 (0)207 3544 4036

Closest station: Covent Garden

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Raspberry cupcake for your Valentine

Making your loved ones smile could sometimes be simpler than you think. Intangible gestures could be more precious than an expensive gift, be it jewellery, a gadget or anything else money can buy. Love is not how much money you are willing to part from, but care and support shown on a daily basis. The gift of time, the gift of thought, the gift of effort, the gift that only ones heart can provide is priceless.

If you are planning to eat out on the night of February the 14th, I suggest you cancel that plan and do something more meaningful. Most restaurants will most likely create a Valentine's fixed menu so no a la carte, prices will be doubled, restaurants will be packed, chefs could be stressed out and you could even be given a two hours turnover time. So why bother. Try making your loved ones a special meal in the comforts of your home instead and finish off with this beautiful heart-shaped cupcake I have recipe ready for you below. These cupcakes can be made ahead of time and kept in the fridge to minimise stress on a week night once you get home from work.

[gallery type="square" ids="3104,3105,3106"]

For those of you who still can't find the courage to utter the three words, these heart-shaped cupcakes with oozing white chocolate should do the job. At least for now.

"You will be surprised at how sometimes, the smallest gesture could outshine the most expensive gift."

RASPBERRY CUPCAKE

adapted from Palachinka
Makes 8

Ingredients:

• 3 tbs seedless raspberry conserve
• 3 eggs (seperate yolk)
• 90g plain flour
• 65g sugar
• 8 squares white chocolate

Method:

1.  Preheat oven to 200°C. Grease and flour the cupcake pan.

2.  Puree the raspberries in a blender and pass the puree through a sieve to remove the seeds.

3.  Whisk the egg yolk and sugar until pale and fluffy.

4.  Fold in the raspberry puree and flour to incorporate.

5.  Beat egg whites until stiff.

6.  Fold the stiffen egg white into the egg yolk and flour mixture very gently until just combined.

7.  Place a square of chocolate on each filled cupcake mould. Press the chocolate in half way with a toothpick. 

8.  Bake for about 7-8 minutes.

9.  Check by inserting a toothpick into the cupcake. It is ready when toothpick comes out clean. 

10. Let cakes cool on wire rack.

Tips:

• Decorate the cupcakes however you like them.
• Although these tastes good on its own, an addition of rose cream will do it wonders.

You may also like:

Lemon Crepe

Fruit Tart

Raspberry Cupcake

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Sizzling brownie, a melting satisfaction

Looks like the sizzles' popular in India. There's sizzling brownie everywhere but we were told the ones at Cafe Coffee Day is really good.



Sizzling brownie is a great idea! I love the marriage of warm brownies with cold vanilla ice cream better yet, this has sizzling chocolate sauce. It is the ultimate sensation of the intimate kiss between brownie and ice cream in the mouth. Meltingly satisfied!

Cafe Coffee Day

This is a chain and can be easily found.

**Other related posts about India

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Well Travelled Brownie

This was the brownie that has been to three different cities. This was the brownie made for smiles. So this brownie had to be MARVELLOUS!

The Brownie with its papery crust and moist body

Like all things marvellous, there is a secret. Use the best ingredients, carefully folded into thick chocolatey mixture, baked at the right temperature and for the right amount of time. This tender loving care gives birth to the best brownie; papery crust on the outside, soft and moist on the inside, with added texture from the white chocolate and walnut chunks. The very unique ingredient here is the salt. Salt has a very special capability of enhancing the taste and sweetness of chocolate. So try not to omit the salt even though it is not a vital ingredient.

The amazing thing about baking brownie is that it fills the entire flat with its chocolatey, heart warming, and very fulfilling scent. It makes everyone in the flat smile. It is also the perfect dessert to travel with as it does not need to be kept in the refrigerator and does not break into crumbly bits too easily. I packed as many as I was able to carry, in the largest container I have, letting it cool over night so it will be ready on time to travel with me to the airport early in the morning. I wanted M, his family and friends try this brownie at its freshest and to see a big fat brownie smile on their faces. Those are the simple things that give me pure satisfaction; food that makes people happy.

Brownie in the plane with a lovely view from the sky.

So I left in the morning with the brownie in hand, along with my luggage. The brownie made it through journey on the coach to the airport, tight security, flight delays, sat through bumpy ride and finally to its destination! It even lasted till the next day when we took the train to Poznan. It was proven popular.

The cities this brownie has been to; London to Szczecin and Poznan.

Below is the recipe for the very delicious brownie that will definitely wow your friends. Beware! Very irresistible! Make sure to give them away. If not, you will end up finishing it all by yourself in two days and end up being Miss Chubby Brownie. Enjoy and stay tuned for a full post about this Poland trip!



BROWNIE WITH WHITE CHOCOLATE CHUNKS AND WALNUT RECIPE
adapted from BBC’s Good Food's Best Ever Brownie

Ingredients:

• 175g unsalted butter


• 200g dark chocolate


• 85g plain flour


• 40g cocoa powder


• 50g white chocolate (chopped into rough square chunks)


• 50g walnut (roughly chopped)


• 3 medium eggs


• 250g light brown sugar


• 1/4 tsp of sea salt

Method:

1. But butter and dark chocolate into cubes and place them in a heatproof bowl. Melt the butter, dark chocolate and salt in a Bain-Marie or in a microwave (covered for 2 minutes).


2. Leave the melted chocolate to cool.


3. Preheat the oven at 160^oC.


4. Line a 20cm square cake tin with parchment paper.


5. Sieve the plain flour and cocoa powder to get rid of any lumps.


6. Whisk the 3 eggs and sugar until thick and creamy. Mixture is ready when it becomes pale and doubles its original volume and leaves a trail in the beater.


7. Fold the cooled chocolate mixture into the egg mixture gently.


8. Sieve the flour and cocoa powder over the chocolate egg mixture and gently fold until it looks fudgy. Make sure to not over mix it.


9. Stir in the white chocolate chunks and chopped walnuts.


10. Pour the mixture into the lined cake tin and bake for about 25 minutes. If the brownie wobbles, it is not ready and let it bake for another 5 minutes until the top layer has a shiny papery crust. Another way to check is to use a toothpick or something sharp. Prick through the brownie and if the mixture sticks on the toothpick, the brownie still needs more time in the oven.


11. When ready, take the brownie out of the oven and let cool.


12. Cut them into generous size and serve. I suggest having it with vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped double cream. A few raspberries on the side will lift up the presentation and give it a fresher taste.


13. Of course, it tastes absolutely delicious on its own. It can be kept in the refrigerator in an air tight container for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer for up to a month. I doubt you will have any left after a day or two.

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Flourless Chocolate Cake

Happy Easter everyone!! Finally, I am officially allowed Hot Chocolate cause Lent is over. I was supposed to give up hot chocolate but of course, that was too tough to get by. Though, I have been doing without my usual dose of morning chocolate for the past month so I think I deserve a pat on the back.

To celebrate the end of my agonising pain from lack of hot chocolate, I made chocolate cake since I already had that very naughty hot chocolate with extra cream and marshmallows for breakfast yesterday.

   'Out of Sync' installation of 10,000 ceramic daffodils to celebrate the beginning of spring and the end of winter

Here is some photographs from The Big Egg Hunt presented by Fabergé for Easter, to raise funds for charities Elephant Family and Action for Children. They have gathered some of the eggs in Covent Garden which I have stumbled upon wandering around the area after a quick stop at Sommerset House to see the Out of Sync installation by Fernando Casasempere. He created a large scale courtyard installation to celebrate the beginning of Spring.

Which is your favourite? Mine's the red postbox!    

Okay that is enough eggs for now. Lets get baking!!

You will still ask for more even with such generous slice

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE RECIPE

Ingredients:

• 240g dark chocolate


• 125g unsalted butter


• a pinch of salt


• 4 eggs (yolk and white separated)


• 100g golden castor sugar

Methods:

1. Preheat oven to 180 Celsius.


2. Melt the chocolate and butter in a Bain-Marie or in the microwave.


3. Remove from heat and add salt. Stir until smooth and let cool.


4. In the meantime, beat the egg yolk and sugar until pale.


5. In a separate bowl, beat the egg white until stiff peak.


6. Fold in 1/3 of chocolate mixture into the yolk mixture.


7. Then gently fold in 1/3 egg white. Fold in the chocolate mixture and egg white.


8. Pour into a well greased 8 inch cake tin lined with baking paper.


9. Bake for 20 minutes and let cool.


10. Serve a generous slice. If you feel like a naughtier dessert, serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped double cream.

Tips:

• If you make this ahead and left it to chill in the fridge, warm it up for about 20 seconds in the microwave to achieve the warm and soft centre.

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