Hands On | Chocolate Bootcamp March 2025

Day one (Online-Live): Will be all about Ganache Formulation with Cacao Barry’s creative director, Chef Ramon Morató! Chef Morató will be joining us live from Spain to cover every detail we should know about the ingredients we normally use in ganaches: their properties, use, source, emulsification, Aw, and sweetening power, as well as the importance of combining sugars. Then take all this information and learn how to formulate well-balanced ganache recipes with the texture and shelf life you are looking for. The second part of the day will be more hands-on, since you will get to make all the ganache recipes you formulated earlier that day to start setting your creations in motion. Chef Morató will answer all your questions and give you advice on how to perfect your ganache.

Day two (Hands-On): This day will be spent with Chef Melissa doing what she is most well known for: Glossy Molded Bonbons! Learn first a variety of colorful and intricate spraying techniques, to then produce bonbons with unique fillings like marshmallows, an assortment of ganaches, caramels, pralinés, dujas, compotes, marzipan, etc. Some of the products you will be making with her are:

• Matcha Passion & Vanilla Bean Ganache
• Passion  Pie: Vanilla Marshmallow, Passion Fruit Ganache and Cookie Crust
• Bourbon Lapsang Souchong Ganache & Pecan Praliné
• Crème Brûlée: Vanilla Custard Ganache & Caramel Crystals
• Honey & Black Truffle Ganache

Day Three (Hands-On): Chef Melissa will teach you the art of enrobed bonbons. You will learn all the factors that affect the precision and shine of your enrobed bonbons, including room temperature, off-temper chocolate use, and fat bloom. You will also learn how to coat them using an enrober with a cooling tunnel, the ultimate chocolatier’s dream setup!

• Lychee Tea Marzipan & Dark Chocolate Ganache | Vegan
• Raspberry Jelly & Peanut Butter Ganache
• Crunchy Piedmontese Gianduja
• Mont Noir: Chestnut Marzipan & Rum Ganache

Day Four (Hands-On): Is all about American-style candy bars and panning! Join Chef Coppel as she teaches you how to make the most indulgent versions of all the American classic bars like vegan “Snickers,” “Twix,” “Butterfinger,” and “Milky Way”.

• “Twix” Chewy Caramel & Sable Cookie
• PB & J Tarts: Raspberry Jam, PB Duja, and Puffed Rice Crisp
• Kunefe Bars: Pistachio Saffron Marzipan & Orange Blossom Ganache
• Pecan Pie: Maple Caramel & Pecan Praliné
• Chewy Caramel & Cacao Nib Nougat
• Vegan “Snickers”: Soft Caramel & Peanut Duja

On Day Five (Hands-On): Explore the world of confections and dragées with Chef Melissa. This day, you will make bite-size confections with unique centers like gooey caramel, marzipan, marshmallow, and caramelized nuts. Chef Melissa will also teach you how to make your panning machine with a Kitchen Aid mixer and how to use shellac. Chef Coppel will also provide many ideas on how to pack all these great products.

• Caramelized Hazelnuts & Millefeuille Chocolate 
• S’Mores: Marshmallow and Graham Cookie Chocolate
• Crème Brûlée Almonds: Vanilla Bean Chocolate and crushed Caramel 
• Glossy Pistachios with White Chocolate and Matcha | Shellac 

On Day Six (Hands-On): Chef Melissa will reimagine traditional bonbon making to teach you how to make the most indulgent vegan glossy bonbons, using natural colors, as well as vegan fillings and couvertures, all made from scratch. You will also create indulgent and versatile confections such as caramels, dragées, marshmallows, candied oranges, and a variety of spreads.

• Piña Colada Chocolate Bars
• Brown Sugar and Oatmeal Chocolate Bars
• Pecan Pie Bonbons: Chocolate-less Pecan Ganache & Pecan Marzipan
• Cherry Jam & Pistachio Praliné
• Soursop Compote & Soursop Ganache