Fundamental Techniques

Mastering the craft of artisan confectionery is a continual process of learning, creating, and improving techniques to upgrade both products and efficiency.

The best formula is of little use without knowledge of the techniques required to make and finish it, and all of the knowledge in the world about ingredients is ineffectual without solid techniques for applying that knowledge to making marketable products. Techniques may vary slightly depending on the operation, available equipment, and desired outcome, and savvy confectioners are always looking for ways to fine-tune techniques to best suit their businesses. To be sure, the artisan confectioner must be well versed in a wide variety of techniques—from the fundamental, such as various ways to temper chocolate, to the esoteric, such as aerating that tempered chocolate with nitrous oxide. Of all the techniques a confectioner might have in his or her repertoire, however, a number may be considered fundamental to the craft; they form the foundation for all the products the confectioner creates. These are the techniques that are used over and over and are applied to a wide range of confections; they range from tempering chocolate to precoating and dipping centers, to lining molds. Only when these fundamentals are mastered—when they have become second nature—can all the confectioner’s creative inspirations come to fruition. Without that understanding and mastery, the confectioner cannot possibly be successful. A few of these essential techniques are explained and illustrated in this chapter.