Known as the Chocolate Man, Bill Fredericks has owned and operated Chocolate Man, a chocolate-making & supply business, for over 25 years. He is an internationally trained chocolatier, instructor, and former corporate chef for Choc Elan, LLC. He is a member of the American Association of Candy Technologists, the International Association of Culinary Professionals, the Fine Chocolate Industry Association, and is president of the Northwest Chocolatiers Guild. Fredericks' career in chocolate began when his wife was anxious to make some fancy desserts and had her mind set on chocolate truffles. He made some for her using regular chocolate chips, but discovered that chocolate chips don't do well in truffle-making; so he began experimenting using different types of chocolate. With degrees in both chemistry and geology, his background in science helps him to understand the properties and complexities of chocolate. And now you can own his expertise! The "Dare to Cook Chocolate" series is available for purchase so you can follow along at home with the Chocolate Man's techniques and savvy. There are 4 parts to the series, all available on DVD and Blu-ray: DTCC: Basic Truffles: Learn the basics of truffle making! Bill will be talking about tempering chocolate and introducing you to ganaches, dipping & molding. You'll also learn about quality chocolate and how to make gourmet gifts at a fraction of the store-bought cost! (162 minutes) DTCC: Tempering: Tempering chocolate is important because it determines the final gloss, shape, and snap of the chocolate. This program will take the mystery out of tempering chocolate. The Chocolate Man starts off with an introduction to the cocoa pod, its origins, and how it is harvested & processed. Next you'll learn how to keep your chocolate in “good temper,” which means getting the fat in the chocolate to form the correct crystalline structure to create beautiful confections. Learn how to perform different tempering methods to create all sorts of delectable treats. (111 minutes) DTCC: Colorful & Creative Molding Techniques: In this video, Bill teaches you advanced molding & decorating techniques for coloring, flavoring, airbrushing, painting, texturizing & using transfer sheets. Learn to make coronets & lines, use white chocolate accents, cocoa butter color accents, air brush techniques, transfer sheet variations, molding of both white & dark chocolate, cleanup, ganache and finally sealing truffles. Be prepared to be inspired to create all sorts of innovative molded chocolates. (154 minutes) *Note: This “Colorful & Creative Molding Techniques” program will be enjoyed more fully by having a good understanding of how to temper chocolate, as taught in Bill's "Tempering" video listed above. DTCC: Holiday Confections: Learn how to make all sorts of holiday confections: chocolate bark, peanut butter cups, fudge, fondant for hand dipped Cherry Cordials, chocolate-dipped fruit, assorted truffles/bars, and much more! Bill also demonstrates effective fork & hand dipping techniques. Happy Holidays from the Chocolate Man!
