Culinary Class – The Secret Life of Chocolate
Thursday, May 9 • 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
157 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT
On Thursday, May 9 – come to the River Garden and learn the secrets of artisanal chocolate making with chocolatier Kerstin Roos! Bring a date and discover a new passion together, or sign Mom up as a sweet Mother’s Day gift!
Class fee: $35
This class will be part presentation, and part hands-on workshop. You will have several pieces of your own hand-made chocolate to bring home. Vegan options will be offered.
- You will learn about the process of making chocolate, which starts at the plantation and ends at the chocolate factory
- What is cacao, what are its origins, and what happens after harvesting?
- The history of chocolate
- Chocolate tasting: Learn about how flavor changes depending on where the cacao is grown(terroir), the genetics of the bean and quality and type of processing used to make the finished chocolate product.
- Learn how to make a ganache for fillings or hand rolled truffles
- Tempering chocolate – two methods
- Make and embellish chocolate mendiants
- Take home a small goodie bag!
Kerstin Roos began working with chocolate while living in NYC in 2001. She took numerous chocolate making classes there and started honing her skills as a chocolate maker which had been a dream since childhood. In 2005 She opened a chocolate shop in Edmonton, Canada where she created a line of fine chocolates and offered chocolate education workshops. She became increasingly interested in the origins of cacao and its uses and in 2012 she closed her shop to travel to cacao plantations around the world with her family. In 2018, Kerstin completed a master’s program in sustainable development at the School for International Training in Brattleboro, VT. It is her goal to create a more equitable cacao supply chain while still creating delicious chocolate.