31 March 1889 - EIFFEL TOWER OFFICIALLY OPENS: Towering nearly a
thousand feet over the streets of Paris, Gustave Eiffel's monument
to the centenary of the French Revolution is formally dedicated. Many
French intellectuals deem it an eyesore, but it will come to be
regarded as a harbinger of the modern age and a cultural icon of France.
MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06
Title: Eiffel Tower
Categories: Five, Novelty, Chocolate
Yield: 4 servings
3 lb White chocolate, tempered
10 lb Bittersweet chocolate;
- tempered
Special equipment: Aluminum flashing
Recipe courtesy of Jacques Torres
Before you begin, keep 2 things in mind: First, you can
make your Eiffel Tower any size you like, however there
is a template is provided with this recipe that you
should base your design on, and second, when using
chocolate, be sure to work slowly and carefully. The
first part of the tower you should make is the base.
Spread the white chocolate on a parchment paper-lined
work surface. When the chocolate is partially set, use
an X-acto knife to cut a base that is large enough to
accommodate the bottom of your tower. Using the template
provided, cut the aluminum flashing into the shape of a
side of the Eiffel Tower, being sure to make all of the
cutouts. If you start with a small tower, you will have
more success.
Lay a parchment paper-lined sheet pan that is as large
as your template on the work surface. Spread the
bittersweet chocolate over the baking sheet. Make it
thicker at 1 end (where you will place the bottom of the
template) to create support for the height of the tower.
When the chocolate is partially set, place the aluminum
template on the chocolate and use an X-acto knife to
trace it. Remove the template. Pick up the chocolate
panel by the corners of the parchment paper and move
onto a new sheet pan. Place a couple of rulers under the
bottom of the chocolate panel, creating a curve at the
bottom of your tower. Allow chocolate to set. When set,
peel up the tower panel from the parchment paper,
freeing it from the excess chocolate surrounding it. Cut
3 more tower panels using the same process. Make sure
the curves in each piece are the same or your tower will
not work.
The next step is to assemble the tower, however assembly
will be easier if you enlist the help of a friend. Place
the base on your work surface. Use bittersweet chocolate
to "glue" the bottom half of two sides together creating
a 90-degree angle, or one corner of the tower. "Glue"
them onto the base. When the chocolate sets, "glue" the
other two sides together and attach them to the base.
Using a coronet, apply more chocolate on the bottom half
of all of the seams to reinforce the tower. When that
chocolate sets, go back and gently seal the tops of the
tower sides with more bittersweet chocolate. Decorate
the outside of the tower with a cornet filled with white
chocolate.
Chocolate is tempered so that after it has been melted,
it retains its gloss and hardens again without becoming
chalky and white (that happens when the molecules of fat
separate and form on top of the chocolate). There are a
variety of ways to temper. One of the easiest ways to
temper chocolate is to chop it into small pieces and
then place it in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time
on high power until most of the chocolate is melted. Be
very careful not to overheat it. (The temperature of
dark chocolate should be between 88ºH and 90ºF, slightly
warmer than your bottom lip. It will retain its shape
even when mostly melted. White and milk chocolates melt
at a temperature approximately 2 degrees F less because
of the amount of lactose they contain.)
Any remaining lumps will melt in the chocolate's
residual heat. Use an immersion blender or whisk to
break up the lumps. Usually, chocolate begins to set, or
crystallize, along the side of the bowl. As it sets, mix
those crystals into the melted chocolate to temper it. A
glass bowl retains heat well and keeps the chocolate
tempered longer. Another way to temper chocolate is
called seeding. In this method, add small pieces of
unmelted chocolate to melted chocolate. The amount of
unmelted chocolate to be added depends on the
temperature of the melted chocolate, but is usually 1/4
of the total amount. It is easiest to use an immersion
blender for this, or a whisk. The classic way to temper
chocolate is called tabliering. Two thirds of the melted
chocolate is poured onto a marble or another cold work
surface. The chocolate is spread out and worked with a
spatula until its temperature is approximately 81ºF.
At this stage, it is thick and begins to set. This
tempered chocolate is then added to the remaining
non-tempered chocolate and mixed thoroughly until the
mass has a completely uniform temperature. If the
temperature is still too high, part of the chocolate is
worked further on the cold surface until the correct
temperature is reached. This is a lot of work, requires
a lot of room, and makes a big mess. A simple method of
checking tempering, is to apply a small quantity of
chocolate to a piece of paper or to the point of a
knife. If the chocolate has been correctly tempered, it
will harden evenly and show a good gloss within a few
minutes.
RECIPE FROM:
https://www.foodnetwork.com
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