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| Just a few of my delectable creations...YUM! |
CHOCOLATE!!!! Sorry, I get excited when I hear that word, when I see it and when I taste it. Chocolate is one of my favourite indulgences and apparently the average Aussie consumes 5-6 kilos of chocolate per year…although I am definitely not your average Australian gal!
Last Christmas I can confess to consuming at least 2 kilos of delectable chocolate thanks to this course…I wish I was joking but I’m not even ashamed – it was seriously worth every choc-dipped bite. Here’s why:
- Jessica Pedemont is one kick-ass artist. I mean literally – she has competed in mixed martial arts and freestyle wrestling on an international level. Whilst setting up her own “Chocolate Artisan” business, winning local business of the year in 2015 and spending years traveling the world working, studying and teaching in some of the finest establishments in the industry.
- Did I mention she was on Sunrise? Yes, and that she almost knocked the camera man out with her wrestling powerbomb move and I couldn’t help but admire this beauty who is as fit as a beast! (you go girl!) Check it out HERE!
- So when I was asked to review this course, there was no hesitation. I had a golden ticket and I was as excited as Augustus Gloop to learn and appreciate chocolate more than ever before! Let’s do this!
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| Photo Courtesy of:http://www.chocolateartisan.com.au/ Jessica Pedemont in her Kick-Ass Cake Zone! |
Where: Celebration Cakes, Level 1, 720 New Canterbury Rd, Canterbury NSW 2193
When: Thursday- Sunday (Morning & Night Classes)
Cost: Starts from $220+ (for at least two hours of chocolate heaven)
If you’re nervous about cooking classes and courses because you’re not an “expert” Jessica is probably one of the most welcoming and down-to-earth teachers you’ll ever meet.
Welcomed into her kitchen with a cup of Hot Spiced Chocolate, you will already feel at home (and you won’t want to leave either).
Our group watched an introductory DVD on how chocolate is made and all the efforts gone into creating these delicacies. We also met her partner-in-crime, Tommy Prosser, an awesome British, French trained chef that specialises in bacon – yes even chocolate bacon! (YUMMO! Check out his blog HERE!)
I can honestly say that after watching “The Story of Chocolate” I’ve already started to appreciate chocolate so much more. Who would have thought that this random cacao tree grown in over 50 tropical countries would produce a pod, which contains beans which are fermented, dried, roasted/winnowed, ground, takes another breath, conched, tempered, moulded, and then packaged and distributed all around the world to be enjoyed by choc-lovers like me!
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| Good enough to Eat - Jessica's Edible Wall Art |
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| Jessica Pedemont, Me and our Cacao Bean |
OH, and here’s another fun fact, the tree is called Theobrama Cacao which literally means “food of the Gods” – I knew there was a reason why chocolate and I have a special bond. Feel free to refer to me as a Goddess from here on.
I don’t want to give too much away as it really must be experienced for yourself but make sure you’re ready to roll, dip, dunk and chop your way to boxes of the best quality chocolates you will ever take home.
Jess, also demonstrates how to “do the chocolate dance”, aka temper chocolate, by hand to give it that smooth and glossy finish. Tempering is when you heat and cool solid chocolate so that it has a sharp “snap” when it breaks and melts in your mouth like warm honey…my mouth is watering just writing about this. (I’ve honestly had about five chocolate breaks during the process of writing this article, I wish I was joking but I’m really not.)
So what exactly did we make!? Well, where do I start!?
Choc- dipped strawberries, dark chocolate truffles, macadamia and white choc clusters, (takes deep breath) banana slices rolled in choc and coconut, apple and apricot chocolate bites, (takes another deep breath) dark chocolate pieces with a beautiful patterned transfer, (has heart attack) marble chocolate balls rolled in desiccated coconut annnnndd I think that’s it. It was all so delicious. I ate so much of it during the course I’m surprised there was enough left to go around and take home!? Miracle I tell you! Well, we are talking about the food of the Gods, aren’t we?
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| Dark. Chocolate. Truffle. Amazingness. |
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| Marble Chocolate Balls covered in Desiccated Coconut |
We packed an assortment in cute little boxes and bags to take home and “share” with our loved ones…lol. Okay Okay, I shared a few samples but I ain’t gonna lie, I devoured most of it without thinking twice! It was just that good.
Trust me, once you’re done with this course you will guard this chocolate like you guard your unfiltered Insta Snaps. Jessica only uses the finest chocolate and has been Australian ambassador for Felchlin Chocolate, Switzerland since 2010. (Come on, I don’t have to tell you that the Swiss produce some of one of the finest in the world do I?)
You will also meet fellow chocoholics who you can chat with endlessly about your love for chocolate and may even make a friend or two. It really is a nice, sociable environment and Jessica really encourages everyone to ask as many questions as possible, share a story or two as well as well as teaching us how to karate chop the dark chocolate slab into bite size pieces. Ka-POW! Don’t worry, no one was hurt during the making of these chocolates. (Only New Year’s resolution diets, hips thighs, etc but it was allllllll worth it, trust me!!!)
So, I suggest you enjoy this course with a partner – a friend, boyfie, wifey, hubby, bro, sis, gf, “bae” or anyone you know who adores chocolate or learning something new! Go on, grab that Golden ticket and GO!
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| My friend Rodriigo and I loving this course (as you can tell by our faces!) |
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| Thank you Jessica! Head to www.chocolateartisan.com.au for tickets! :) |
Xoxox
The Journalette
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