Well, as Thursday’s go this was by far one of our favourite days of the year so far!
What is there to complain about whilst in the grounds of the beautiful Pennyhill Park Hotel in Surrey with a glass of bubbles in hand surrounded by masses of chocolate. We can answer that…. NOTHING!
As well as focusing on chocolate, the afternoon was all about discovering new things. Destination DC along with Able Maxx were the event hosts and we started with a creative and exciting presentation about Washington DC – a destination that is regularly misjudged. We heard about the new hotels and centres opening later this year in the district and how a program can be designed or tailored for any group type and size. Washington has so much to offer and it isn’t just the White House and politics! Street food markets, moonlight tours in Vintage cars, experience the hustle & bustle of Georgetown, kayak down the C&O Canal (to name just a few)
From facts to fun…. The chocolate was next!
An interactive learning experience was led by Sarah Frankland (Head Pastry Chef at Pennyhill Park) with tasters included! We started by hearing about how chocolate is made and we tasted 100% Cocoa and Cocao butter which was…. interesting!
We then decreased in percentage of cocoa until we tasted the lightest & sweetest on the scale which was milk chocolate. Truffles were next on the menu! Sarah led the masterclass on “How to make the perfect Truffle” We were guided through flavour pairings and how to infuse ingredients with the melted chocolate beans before piping into truffle shells. Sarah made a standout truffle of lavender & honey – ingredients which had all be grown and picked from the Pennyhill Park grounds.
It was our turn to take to the kitchen next where we had to choose our flavours and make our ganache ready to cool and then pipe into shells of our choice (we chose milk shells with gold dusting). The group where able to pick their own ingredients and work independently like a real Chocolatier! The truffle tasting was judged by four of the Head Chefs from Pennyhill Park and they chose two worthy winners but commended everyone for their efforts, skill and creativity. Unfortunately our Chilli & sea salt combination wasn’t quite good enough for the Chefs!
It was a magical experience which wasn’t just tasty, but also very interesting. Many thanks to our hosts and the Pennyhill Park team for a fabulous event. Can we do the same again next month please!
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