Hi everyone Paul Young (GFL) here,just a quicky to say if you have any chocolate or dessert questions then do post them here and I will do my best to answer.

Hope you are enjoying the fantastic weather.

Paul Young
Patissiere/chocolatier

I left a message earlier but it seems to have disappeared so will try again. How do I make a chocolate icing that stays shiney when dry? I have tried varous methods but they have all been disappointing - they become dull when dry.........is there a secret method?
Also I have 8 house guests arriving shortly and I need some quick choclatey ideas for desserts!!! Help please. Many thanks Paul. Look forward to seeing you on GFL next season.

Have you got a recipe for the LouisXV dessert with praline that was on the best in the world programme last week, it sounds just up my street..
Secondly, I have some little tiny cups I want to use for a dessert with other tasty morsels on a dessert plate, but am stuck for something to put in them. Can't have cream which is a pain, but I'd like something Creamy..any ideas.

Hi Sonia, Well here is my recipe for chocolate Mirror Glace which I promise you will stay as shiney as a mirror. Hence the name.

400 mls double cream
460g dark chocolate - valrhona or lindt
45g unsalted butter
90g corn or glucose syrup.
In a saucepan bring the cream to the boil and pour into a mixing bowl containing the chocolate broken into small pieces.
Whisk until smooth.
Leave to cool to room temperature then whisk in the butter and syrup. Now use as for icings, pouring coating etc.

Let me know how you get on.

Paul xx

Hi Jennifer,sadly I do not have the recipe you saw on the program. Have you searched the site for it? You may find it on a search engine also.

Now your chocolate cups - something creamy but not cream.
Can you have things such as Yoghurts, cream cheeses, mascapone etc

Let me know as I have heaps of recipes using cream cheeses and cream alternatives.

Looking forward to hearing from you soon.

paul xx

Thanks Paul - am going to try it tomorrow!!

Hello Paul..I actually found a recipe on a google which gives a good idea of it.
A friend is coming for a meal who doesn't like cream so that is the problem, I am doing a plate with little tastes on it but have these lovely tiny cups that I really wanted to use. Any alternative is fine its just the cream..

Hi Jennifer, One of my favourite fillings is Sweet Mascarpone.

Take Mascarpone add enough icing sugar to taste then let your imagination run riot.
eg - Cointreau and orange
Lime and Lemon
Fold in raspberries and Vanilla
Fold in melted chocolate and Bailies
Lemon and lavender flowers

Or do the same thing but use half cream cheese and half double cream, with icing sugar and mix well and you have cheesecake filling. Add any fruits flavours etc and spoon in the the cups or use a piping bag to fill the cups. Finish with fresh berries, mint, fruits.

Hope this inspires and helps alittle.

Let me know how you get on.

Paul

Thankyou Paul I knew you would come up with something.. I couldn't get away from chocolate creams. As part of the dessert I am also doing tiny brandysnap cups so could use one of the other different flavours also..
Great thanks
Love Jenny.

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If you want AD's recipe for Louis XV dessert - It is legendary across the world, and made especially well in Monaco by Alain Ducasse

Thanks TopChocPaul..........made your Mirror Glace and it was wonderful.........stayed nice and glossy and everyone loved it.
I would like to make some mini cheesecakes - would the recipe above for Jennifer be ok to use if I have a biscuit base?

Hi,
Recently tried to make a white chocolate icecream, but not very successful, too grainy. I used black and greens chocolate so presume it was the recipe not the chocolate.....do you have a favourite, reliable recipe to use with an inexpensive icecream maker-the sort you put the bowl in the freezer?

When I used to work for a Belgian Chocolate Company I would pass the melted chocolate through a fine sieve.

Try using callets of Callebaut. Maybe 811 if you can get them. But saying that at the end of the day, you can use whatever you like, as it all depends on your taste.

I wouldn't personally use Valrhona, but Lindt or Suchard might do you.

Hi! This is a question for TCHP, although I do not know if I am posting it in the right place, since it is my first time in this forum.
My family love chocolate and since I would only buy the best, I get a 3 kg Valrhona package (this is 3 bars of one kg each) once a year. The problem is they are a lot messier to use than ordinary 200 gr bars... cutting them with a knife produces lots of chocolate debris that end up everywhere and it is quite time consuming. Any suggestions? Thanks.

Why not use a Vegetable peeler and have fine slithers of chocolate which can also be broken down quite easily - Or get a cold grater (ie one that has been in the fridge) and then grate your required amount of chocolate that way without it melting so much

Cecilia - it sounds like you're a lucky person!

Mum, anybody can do it. I buy it in France (here you'll probably pay twice)... Malouin, the problem with that is if you need, say, 200 gr, you'd have to do a lot of shavings from a big block. You would have to hold it in the right positions and the chocolate would melt in your hand (even through a foil). I manage quite well, but if there is a professional tip I could use, I'm all ears...

Apologies, should have mentioned that if you put the chocolate in the fridge for a while, and then get a pan of hot water, or suitable container and then sharpen your knife, leave it in the hot water for a minute, take the choccy out and slice up fairly quick before the knife cools down, or keep dipping the knife in the hot water.

Keep the whole blade in the hot water though, and if necessary replenish the water, but throw out the old stuff.

The same principle goes for ice cream, if you have one that is hard, use hot water and a spoon/scoop.

Forgot - When you have cut it up, put the required amount in a freezer for 1/2 to 1 hour and in cling film, then grate. If you need to stop and refreeze then you can do so.

An old french trick to refresh it if it looks a bit strange is add a dash of Rum (Dark)

Well I say it's a trick, but I think we used to throw away the choccie and have the Rum

Thanks Malouin! I always thought the fridge or freezer affected the quality of the chocolate.... also thought about a hot knife, but was concerned the edges of the part you keep would "seize" with the heat...

It does to a certain degree, but if you use it quick enough then it should be okay. And as it is a quality chocolate it should be able to manage that.

Those were the tricks we used to use in the kitchen, but storing of good chocolate is also important.

Personally I would just sit there and nibble on it, until it was time for bed though

Paul,

Any idea of the best supplier to use for 70% cocoa chocolate? I am setting up a business making desserts and cakes and want to use the best ingredients. Is there anywhere I can source larger bars than 200g and at a reasonablr price?

Thanks

Natalie

Have you had a look at this website to see if anything fits your description?

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