BUTTER SCULPTURE AND CHOCOLATE MAKING

BUTTER SCULPTURE

• Often depict animals, people, buildings and other objects.
• Found banquet tables and even small decorative butter pats.

Steps

You Will Need

• Butter
• A cool room
• Ice water
• Materials for the framework
• Sculpting tools
• Food coloring

1. Step 1

   Find a cool room

   Find a cool room in which to work so your butter doesn’t melt as you sculpt.
   
2. Tip
   Today, Tibetan monks create their works of art in rooms kept at 32° F.
   
3. Step 2

   Pick a subject

   Pick a subject. Let your mind run wild. Butter sculptors have created everything from The Last Supper to Elvis Presley.
   
4. Step 3

   Soak the butter

   Soak the butter in very cold water in order to remove impurities and give the butter an extra- smooth texture. The amount of butter you soak depends on how large you’d like your sculpture to be.
   
5. Step 4

   Build the frame

   Build a frame to hold your base in place. Traditionally, bamboo sticks were fashioned into the framework, but you can use wood and/or metal.
   
6. Step 5

   Dip hands in ice

   Before you start sculpting, dip your hands in ice water. Your hands must be kept practically numb, or your body heat will melt your creation.
   
7. Step 6

   Knead the butter

   Knead the butter into a paste that’s free of air bubbles.
   
8. Tip
   Add food coloring to the paste, or parts of the paste, if you like.
   
9. Step 7

   Butter the base

   Load the butter onto the base, and begin shaping it with your hands.
   
10. Step 8

    Fine-tune your design

    Fine-tune your design with tallow tools. Use modeling tools for smoothing and contouring large surfaces, and sculpting tools for intricate detail.
    
11. Tip
    Many household items, like shoe horns and manicure instruments, can be turned into sculpting tools, so use your imagination.
    
12. Step 9

    Keep it cool

    Once you’ve completed your masterpiece, store it somewhere it won’t melt before the big reveal.
    
    sources:http://www.howcast.com/videos/152427-How-to-Make-a-Butter-Sculpture
    
    
    
    
    
    
    

CHOCOLATE MAKING

• Raw or processed food produced from the seed of the tropical Theobroma cacao tree.
• Cacao has been cultivated for at least three millennia in Mexico, Central and South America.
• The seeds of the cacao tree have an intense bitter taste, and must be fermented to develop the flavor.
• Cocoa solids contain alkaloids such as theobromine and phenethylamine, which have physiological effects on the body.
• Some research found that chocolate, eaten in moderation, can lower blood pressure.

 Cocoa powder method

1. Place the water in a pot and heat it. Keep it below boiling.
2. Combine cocoa powder and softened butter in a bowl. Mix until you have a smooth paste. Use a whisk, food processor, or even an immersion blender to eliminate lumps.
3. Add cocoa powder mix to the hot water and stir.
4. Allow temperature to rise back up. Again, it should be hot but not boiling.
5. Pour hot mixture into a bowl.
6. Sift flour and powdered sugar together in a separate bowl. Eliminate as many clumps as you can.
7. Stir sugar and flour mixture into hot cocoa mix.
8. Add milk and blend until smooth.
9. Pour the mixture in thin layers across the bottoms of various containers. Since the chocolate will take the shape of the container, a rectangular casserole dish will work well for a rectangular bar. You can also use candy molds.
10. Harden overnight in the refrigerator or freezer

chocolate tempering thermometer

chocolate molds