Chocolatier Course

Lesson 1 • Sensory Evaluation of Chocolate

Trains systematic tasting using appearance, snap, aroma, and finish criteria. Builds the palate vocabulary essential for quality control throughout the course.

Lesson 2 • Chocolate Chemistry Essentials

Introduces cocoa butter composition, polyphenols, and Maillard reactions. Provides the chemical vocabulary needed to understand every subsequent processing step.

Lesson 3 • Commercial Chocolate Categories

Defines dark, milk, white, and ruby chocolate by composition standards. Prepares students to select the correct couverture for each application.

Lesson 4 • Harvesting and Post-Harvest Processing

Examines pod harvesting, pulp fermentation, and sun-drying methods. Connects farm-level decisions to the flavor precursors that chocolatiers later develop.

Lesson 1 • Cracking, Winnowing, and Nibs

Teaches mechanical cracking and air-separation of shells from nibs. Students assess nib quality and shell contamination levels before grinding.

Lesson 2 • Conching for Flavor Development

Explains conching as a flavor-development and moisture-reduction process. Students adjust conche time, temperature, and aeration to achieve target flavor profiles.

Lesson 3 • Grinding and Refining

Covers melangers, ball mills, and roll refiners for particle size reduction. Students target particle sizes below 20 microns for smooth mouthfeel.

Lesson 4 • Bean Sorting and Roasting

Covers defect sorting, moisture measurement, and roast profile development. Students learn how roast temperature and time unlock or destroy flavor precursors.

Lesson 1 • Machine Tempering and Automation

Introduces continuous tempering machines used in professional production. Students calibrate settings and troubleshoot common machine-related defects.

Lesson 2 • Seeding Method Tempering

Covers adding pre-crystallized chocolate to melted mass as an efficient alternative. Connects seed quantity and particle size to final crystal quality.

Lesson 3 • Tabling Method Tempering

Teaches the classic marble-slab technique for seeding and cooling chocolate. Students practice hand feel and visual cues to confirm correct temper.

Lesson 4 • Troubleshooting Tempering Defects

Diagnoses fat bloom, sugar bloom, and dull finish through systematic analysis. Reinforces understanding of crystallization science by solving real production problems.

Lesson 1 • Shell Molding Fundamentals

Teaches filling, tapping, and inverting molds to create hollow shells. Students control shell thickness and uniformity through consistent technique.

Lesson 2 • Closing and Demolding

Demonstrates backing, capping, and controlled crystallization before demolding. Students learn how temperature differentials create the contraction needed for clean release.

Lesson 3 • Decorative Coloring with Cocoa Butter

Introduces fat-soluble cocoa butter colors for airbrushing and hand-painting molds. Builds on tempering knowledge to ensure colors bond correctly to shells.

Lesson 4 • Mold Types and Preparation

Compares polycarbonate, silicone, and metal molds by release quality and durability. Proper cleaning and polishing are established as prerequisites for glossy shells.

Lesson 1 • Classic Cream-Based Ganache

Covers ratio calculation, cream heating, and chocolate incorporation for standard ganache. Students produce smooth, pipeable ganache with correct texture and gloss.

Lesson 2 • Butter and Fruit Ganache Variations

Explores butter-enriched ganache and fruit-puree-based formulations for diverse flavor profiles. Addresses how added water from purees affects emulsion stability.

Lesson 3 • Emulsion Science for Ganache

Explains fat-in-water and water-in-fat emulsions and the role of lecithin. Provides the scientific basis for all ganache formulation decisions that follow.

Lesson 4 • Piping, Setting, and Cutting Ganache

Covers frame-depositing, slab-setting, and guitar-cutting for uniform ganache centers. Students develop the hand skills needed for consistent bonbon production.

Lesson 1 • Praline and Nut Paste Production

Teaches roasting, caramelizing, and grinding nuts into smooth praline paste. Connects particle size reduction to mouthfeel and flavor intensity.

Lesson 2 • Gianduja Formulation

Combines praline paste with chocolate to create the classic Italian confection. Students balance nut-to-chocolate ratios for spreadable and moldable textures.

Lesson 3 • Alcohol and Liqueur Fillings

Explores invertase-based liquid centers and alcohol-infused ganaches. Addresses how alcohol content affects water activity and microbial stability.

Lesson 4 • Marzipan and Fondant Centers

Covers almond paste formulation and fondant crystallization for traditional centers. Students learn how sugar crystal size determines fondant texture.

Lesson 1 • Casting and Sculpting Techniques

Covers solid casting, hollow casting, and hand-sculpting with tempered chocolate. Students produce structural components with precise dimensions.

Lesson 2 • Chocolate Decorative Elements

Teaches cigarettes, fans, shards, and transfer-sheet decorations for surface embellishment. Each element reinforces tempering precision at a small scale.

Lesson 3 • Finishing and Display Presentation

Covers airbrushing, dusting, and base construction for competition-ready presentation. Students evaluate their own pieces against professional judging criteria.

Lesson 4 • Design Principles for Showpieces

Introduces proportion, balance, and visual flow as applied to three-dimensional chocolate structures. Students sketch and plan pieces before any chocolate is melted.

Lesson 1 • Food Safety Hazard Analysis

Introduces biological, chemical, and physical hazards specific to chocolate production. Students identify critical control points using a structured hazard analysis framework.

Lesson 2 • Shelf-Life Testing and Packaging

Covers accelerated shelf-life testing, moisture barrier packaging, and storage conditions. Students select packaging materials based on water vapor transmission rates.

Lesson 3 • Hygiene and Sanitation Standards

Covers personal hygiene, allergen cross-contact prevention, and cleaning validation. Connects sanitation protocols to compliance with food hygiene standards.

Lesson 4 • Traceability and Documentation Systems

Teaches batch coding, ingredient traceability, and recall procedure documentation. Students build a complete production record for a finished chocolate product.