“Halloween Baking Championship” judge Zac Young has named the simple advice he will always give contestants – never coat in chocolate. He told Mashed, “I think everyone knows how I feel about chocolate enrobing, which is great at home. It’s great fun to play with. It’s a great way to create characters, to make cake pops, etc. But in the kitchen, [for] these pastry chefs, it’s just as quick to temper chocolate as it is to melt enrobing chocolate.”
The term “chocolate coating” refers to covering a candy or other food – often a pastry – with a layer of chocolate (for Valrhona). But Young prefers bakers to “microwave-tempered regular chocolate.” According Ghirardelli, chocolate tempering involves heating and cooling chocolate to stabilize it when making candy or other sweets. The Food Network star added, “It won’t be as perfect as if you temper it correctly, but for our purposes it’s much tastier and much more representative of what you want to deliver as a pastry chef.”
If you’re planning on applying for the “Halloween Baking Championship” anytime soon, you now know the secret to a boost from Young – and if a competitive show isn’t your style, you can always use this tip to make your house the instead of sweets or treats this holiday.
Food Network’s “Halloween Baking Championship” airs Mondays at 9 p.m. ET. Check Zac Young’s Instagram Page for his latest projects.
