Chocolate Snowman
Release date: 16/12/2011
Members of the public who use KC café bar at Dundee College Kingsway Campus have been joined by a winter visitor – a snowman made entirely of chocolate.
Standing at nearly 3ft tall, the festive caller was crafted from Belgian couverture chocolate, which has a high level of cocoa butter, by students on the level 3 professional cookery course, under the watchful eye of part-time lecturer Albert Close who is sous chef (pastry) at Gleneagles Hotel.
Decorated with both white and brown chocolate, the snowman, who weighs in at around 4 kilos, will welcome visitors to the café bar, which is open to the public at lunchtimes,.
He joins another small band of Yuletide characters who are decorating the training restaurant next door to the café bar, where the students created a mini-Christmas tableaux, comprising a snowman in white chocolate, a couple of Santa figures, a chocolate sleigh and even some presents.
“The students have all done extremely well,” commented Albert.
“They had to work hard tempering the chocolate, heating and cooling it, as, along with its higher percentage of cocoa butter, correct tempering results in giving a shine to the couverture chocolate and succeeds in making it brittle.”
As well as the practical work the students also studied other aspects of chocolate, its history, and where and how cocoa is grown.
“We are one of the few colleges in the country where level 3 students are given the chance to train in chocolate work,” explained Russell Walker, senior chef lecturer.
“Everyone loves a snowman and our latest visitor is certainly finding favour among our clientele.”
Those using the café bar are warned however, all of the chocolate snowman’s chocolate buttons are counted!