Kirsten Tibballs, Founder of Savour School and commonly referred to as Australia’s Queen of Chocolate is
celebrating her school’s 20th anniversary. Here are her best tips for cooking with chocolate:
- Chocolate should live in the pantry, not in the fridge – even in summer! Make sure it’s well wrapped, then store chocolate in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight.
- Chocolate that looks speckled white or grey isn’t old or mouldy – it’s got what is called chocolate bloom and it’s still good to eat. Chocolate bloom happens either from quick temperature changes or from being stored in a damp environment.
- Chocolate will absorb aromas easily so store it away from your spices, onion and garlic.
- Chocolate can be affected by light so store it in opaque packaging or in a dark cupboard.
- Chocolate doesn’t contain any water so it always has a best before not a use-by date.
- Chop your chocolate up or in small pieces before melting your chocolate.
- I melt my chocolate gently in a bowl in the microwave rather than over a stove. This ensures the chocolate doesn’t absorb any moisture from the steam and humidity in the air.
- To temper chocolate, melt it on high in 30 second increments stirring in between until you have half chocolate and half liquid and then give it a good stir and your chocolate will be tempered.
- Dark chocolate always gives the best shine and snap as it has more cocoa butter.
- Avoid using chocolate that contains vegetable fat. Look for chocolate made with cocoa butter.
- You will always get a full-bodied chocolate experience if you eat chocolate at room temperature not straight from the fridge.
- Chocolate can be re-heated and re-used multiple times as long as it hasn’t absorbed moisture.
- The higher the percentage of cocoa in your chocolate, the less sugar it has.
- The thinner the chocolate layer the more shine you will achieve.
- If you mix chocolate and water together, the chocolate will get thicker and it can seize up, meaning you can no longer use it.
About Savour School
Australia’s sweetest Chef, Kirsten Tibballs is celebrating two decades at the helm of her world-renowned pastry and chocolate school, Savour. Turning 20 in late July, Savour School remains an international destination for the world’s best patissiers and chocolatiers.
Savour School has been based in the Melbourne suburb of Brunswick since opening in July 2002. It is
now also home to a retail store that sells specialty equipment and ingredients which are shipped around
the world.
Savour Online Classes start from $12.95 per month and are available from: https://savourschool.com.au
Savour School: 22 Wilson Ave, Brunswick VIC 3056
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