JAN 251 - Confections of a Chocoholic

Course Meeting Days & Times: TTh, 2:45 PM-4:00:00 PM

Instructor(s): Borges, Filomena

Email: fborges@stmarys-ca.edu

Fee: $100

Course Description:  Are you a chocolate enthusiast wanting to deepen your knowledge of chocolate, develop your tasting palate, and practice pairing it with other foods, drinks, and ingredients with confidence? While chocolate is often associated with decadent Valentine’s Day confections as well as a cozy winter beverage, cacao is far more culturally complex than its contemporary media depictions. From its origins in Mesoamerica as a sacred drink, or the “food of the gods”, to its modern uses in the food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries, Theobroma cacao affects life in more ways than the average consumer knows.

We will study chocolate’s history and its global presence exploring its relationships to religion, economics, medicine, and beauty. There will be in-class chocolate tastings of cacao components, chocolates, and confections while focusing on local, organic, non-GMO, and fair-trade products whenever possible.  We will actively avoid high fructose corn syrup, harmful ingredients, and well-known commercial brands. In addition to chocolate tastings, we will explore chocolate as a health food.

Students will learn how to mold chocolates, use chocolate confectionery equipment, and how to make chocolate from scratch as well as experiment with edible projects, such as nut butter-style cups, fondue, hot chocolate, chocolate tea, candy bars, flavored chocolate, chocolate chip cookies, and baked goods.

At the end of this course, you will have not only satisfied your chocolate curiosity, learned how to savor chocolate and how to use cacao in various ways, but you will also have gained an awareness of cacao’s larger historical and contemporary role in culture, economy, and the planet’s well-being.

PLEASE NOTE: Food inclusivity as well as allergy consciousness will be topics covered therefore the course is appropriate for all eating styles from vegan to paleo. While foods and ingredients will be gluten-free, students who tolerate gluten will be able to use the concepts learned in class.

Prerequisites & Notes
None

Credits: 1