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Right now, we don’t have the option to head down to the shops whenever we feel a craving for chocolate but most of us do have plenty of time on our hands to learn new skills and perfect existing ones to make chocolate treats.
On this Easter weekend our Executive Chef Graham Tinsley wants to show people how to make scrumptious, all-natural chocolate at home using just a few basic ingredients and by following a few of his insider tips.
Graham explains, “The way to prepare the best chocolate to prevent it having a dull greyish colour and an off-putting waxy texture is through a process called tempering which prevents the cocoa fat separating out. This is an essential step for smooth, glossy, evenly coloured coating for chocolate and it produces a crisp, satisfying snap when you bite into it.
He continues, “The tempering process takes chocolate through a temperature curve which helps align the chocolate crystals and the easiest way to do this in by a method known as seeding.”
Easter is one of those “permissible indulgence” moments for enjoying chocolate and Graham concludes “Making your own all-natural chocolate following my guidance is even better than shop bought chocolate that can contain ingredients that are less appealing such as sugars, dyes and preservatives”.
Tempering chocolate is an essential step for making a smooth, glossy, evenly coloured coating for your dipped chocolates and chocolate moulds. Tempering prevents the dull greyish colour and waxy texture that happens when the cocoa fat separates out. Tempered chocolate produces a crisp, satisfying snap when you bite into it. The tempering process takes chocolate through a temperature curve, a process which aligns the chocolate’s crystals to make it smooth, silky, and glossy.
The easiest way to do this is by the method known as seeding. Melt 2/3rds of your chocolate in a bowl over a pan of hot water until the chocolate is melted and the required temperature is reached. Then take the chocolate off the heat and add the last 1/3rd of chocolate and stir until completely dissolved. This will take a bit of practice to achieve the correct temperatures. A food thermometer is a must for achieving this
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🦒 𝐖𝐈𝐍 a wild break away at Carden Park with Chester Zoo tickets included 🦒 To celebrate the opening of Heart of Africa at Chester Zoo, we’re giving you the chance to win an incredible stay at Carden Park with tickets to the zoo included for May 2025The prize:🦩One night stay during May 2025 for up to 4 people (max 2 adults, 2 children)🦩Breakfast the following morning🦩Tickets to Chester Zoo (up to 4 people, 2 adults, 2 children) To enter:🦏 Like this post🦏 Follow @cardenpark🦏 Tag someone in the comments🦏 Share this post to your stories (if you have a private profile just DM us a screenshot) Competition closes at 11:59pm on Sunday 27th April. The winner will be announced and contacted on Monday 28th AprilGood luck! 🍀 𝗪𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗡𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗥 𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲 - 𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗯𝗲 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗳𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝘀. 𝗪𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁, @cardenpark (with the blue tick) T&CsWinner will be chosen at random and contacted directly by Carden Park on Monday 28th April 2025.Open to UK residents and over 18s onlyPrize is subject to availabilityPrize is a 1 night stay at Carden Park with breakfast and Chester Zoo tickets for a maximum of 2 adults and 2 childrenPrize does not include transport to and from Carden Park or Chester ZooNon-transferable and no cash alternative will be givenFor full terms and conditions please visit cardenpark.co.uk/terms-and-conditionsCompetition is in no way endorsed by Facebook, Instagram or Meta#familytime #chesterzoo #cardenpark
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The break away that has something for the whole family 😎#familyholiday #outdooractivity #archery #food #ukhotel
Hoppy Easter every-bunny🐰 Wishing you a day filled with egg-stra joy and sweet treats #easter #happyeaster #cardenpark
Today`s the day! 🎉⛳️ The Nicklaus course is now officially open for the 2025 season. Whether you`re channeling your inner-Rory McIlroy, chasing birdies or just soaking up the views, it`s time to return to the course#golfcourse #golfseason #cardenpark #golflife
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