Leading up to the Big Island Chocolate Festival Gala on Saturday at the Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort and Spa are three days of chocolate events.
On Thursday there is a farm and chocolate tasting tour at the award-winning Honoka‘a Chocolate Company. This is a new tour location on the Hamakua Coast and offers a guided visit to a cacao orchard and samplings. Cost is $55 each or two for $90.
On Friday there are three farm seminars
• 1 p.m.: “Fermentation Process with Cacao” by Benjamin Fields. Benjamin has a B.S. in ethnobotany and grew up around his family’s nursery in windward O‘ahu where he planted a cacao agroforest. He is the founder of Mapele Fields, which processes cacao for 21 growers.
• 2:15 p.m.: “Maximizing Profits and Reach with Eco-tourism,” facilitated by Maddy Smith. She is the founder of Barefoot Chocolatini, an eco-tourism company on the Hamakua Coast, and the past president of the East Hawaii Cacao Association. After years of leading cacao tours and processing chocolate from bean to bar, Maddy offers her expertise to budding new cacao farmers.
• 3:30 p.m.: “The Importance of Proper Tempering” by Chef Stéphanie Tréand, MOF, of The Pastry School in California. Chef offers tips on tempering chocolate and crafting chocolate pieces for a sculpture that will be constructed during the Saturday noon demonstration. Tréand’s Pastry School instructs students of all abilities in the pastry and baking arts.
Cost for all three sessions is $40.
On Saturday there are three culinary demonstrations. Cost to attend all three is $79.
• 9:30–10:15 a.m.: “Discover the Flavor Profiles of Chocolate.” A unique chocolate tasting by Pastry Chef Alicia Boada, who leads the North American team for Max Felchlin AG, a producer of fine grand cru Swiss chocolates and couvertures, headquartered in Schwyz, Switzerland. Her vast chocolate knowledge often calls her to lead chocolate training and sensorial seminars worldwide. Experience how to best use fine chocolate couvertures and learn about the long journey of the cacao bean from its growing region to Switzerland.
• 10:30 a.m.–12 p.m.: “Creating an Artistic Chocolate Showpiece” by Chef Stephane Tréand, MOF of The Pastry School in California. Chef will demonstrate how to mold and color chocolate for building an elaborate showpiece sculpture. The masterpiece will be on display during the festival gala.
• 12:15–1:45 p.m.: “How to Use Cacao Beans to Create Desserts &Sampling” by Chef Bruse Trouyet, executive pastry chef at Four Seasons Resort Lana‘i and Koele Lodge. From France, Trouyet has served at top-rated hotels throughout the world, earning a Michelin star. Chef will explain how he makes chocolate from local cacao beans that are featured in a macadamia praline tartlet with whipped ganache and crème brûlée, which guests will get to sample.
The Big Island Chocolate Festival Gala will be held on Saturday from 6 p.m. till 10 p.m. at the Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort &Spa. There will be from 12 to 15 chef booths with three-course pupus. There are still general tickets available online at https://bigislandchocolatefestival.com
Here is the “Ultimate Chocolate Cupcake” recipe from Cook’s Illustrated and if I were judging this recipe, I would rate it very high for the use of chocolate:
Ultimate Chocolate Cupcake
Makes 12 cupcakes
Filling:
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon confectioner’s sugar
Cupcakes:
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
1/3 cup (1 ounce) Dutch-processed cocoa
3/4 cup brewed coffee, hot
3/4 cup (4 1/8 ounces) bread flour
3/4 cup (5 1/4 ounces) granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Creamy chocolate frosting:
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 large egg whites
Pinch salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces and softened
6 ounce bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the filling:
Microwave chocolate, cream and sugar in a medium bowl until mixture is warm to touch, about 30 seconds. Whisk until smooth, then transfer bowl to refrigerator and let sit until just chilled, no longer than 30 minutes.
For the frosting:
Combine sugar, egg whites, and salt in bowl of stand mixer and set bowl over saucepan filled with 1 inch barely simmering water. Whisking gently but constantly, heat mixture until slightly thickened and foamy, and it registers 150 degrees, 2 to 3 minutes.
Fit stand mixer with whisk and whip mixture mixture on medium speed until consistency of shaving cream and slightly cooled, 1 to 2 minutes. Add butter, 1 piece at a time, until smooth and creamy. (Frosting may look curdled after half of butter has been added, it will smooth with additional butter.) Once all butter is added, add cooled melted chocolate and vanilla; mix until combined. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until light, fluffy, and thoroughly combined, about 30 seconds, scraping down beater and sides of bowl with rubber spatula as necessary.
For the cupcakes:
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12-cup muffin tin with paper or foil liners. Place chocolate and cocoa in medium heatproof bowl. Pour chocolate and cocoa in medium heatproof bowl. Pour hot coffee over mixture and let sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Whisk mixture gently until smooth, then transfer to refrigerator to cool completely, about 20 minutes.
Whisk flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda together in medium bowl. Whisk oil, eggs, vinegar, and vanilla into cooled chocolate mixture until smooth. Add flour mixture and whisk until smooth.
Using ice cream scoop or large spoon, divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Place 1 slightly rounded teaspoon of ganache filling on top of each portion of batter. Bake cupcakes until set and just firm to touch, 17 to 19 minutes. Let cupcakes cool in muffin tin on wire rack until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes. Lift each cupcake from tin, set on wire rack, and let cool completely before frosting, about one hour. Spread 2 to 3 tablespoons frosting over each cooled cupcake and serve.