Scolpt enchants UCOL students

MOULDING MAGIC: Scolpt workshop participants explore the mouldable chocolate product at UCOL Wairarapa. PHOTO SUPPLIED

Baking and pastry students at UCOL Wairarapa have explored the magic of an innovative chocolate product developed in New Zealand.

UCOL Wairarapa chef lecturer Kiri McDonald said she and members of her Certificate in Baking and Pastry Level 3 class had last week completed a workshop on a cake decorating alternative to fondant icing called Scolpt.

The Scolpt chocolate product, and a range of associated tools and equipment, were available from the Kuripuni Bookshop and had been developed by Amanda Lloyd, who also led the class for UCOL Wairarapa students.

The cake decoration class was arranged through the owners of the bookshop and had been successful, Ms McDonald said.

She said Hawke's Bay-based Ms Lloyd, 'a former cookery tutor, had spent several years developing the mouldable chocolate, which can be manipulated into a range of shapes and forms and the inaugural workshop had led some students who made gateau on Thursday into using the Scolpt as decoration.

"The class worked really well and Amanda is an awesome lady. Scolpt just looks like plasticine and really is an innovative alternative to fondant, which can be quite difficult to work with," she said.

"It is good that it's available here in town. It's a fantastic new product for anybody interested in cake decorating, and there are quite a few in our class."