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As a start, could you say more about what you mean by using a stamp to get the colored cocoa butter into the cavity? What sort of stamp? Are you referring to the hugely popular silicone stamps that make a pattern in the cavity or something else (a sponge perhaps?). I know it's a nuisance, but another check would be to test the cocoa butter before using it. Spread a little on stone or parchment or just waxed paper and wait to see if it firms up and turns from shiny to matte. If it does, then it's tempered regardless of which method you are using for tempering. The traditional method for tempering includes the third step of raising the temperature back up to working temperature (the theory being that all types of crystals formed as you cooled the cocoa butter, so you have to melt the I-IV crystals, leaving type V). Kriss Harvey's method (also used by James Parsons) is not typical, but it seems to work--although I don't quite understand the science behind it.

This looks fabulous, @Duvel. Might you (please) give us a few proportions of ingredients?

Hello All, brand new to this forum and this is my first post. Sorry it's a bit long. I started making chocolate from beans this past October, lots of fun and I've been fairly successful. In the beginning of December I started on bonbons with colored cocoa butter and it's also been fun and for the most part successful. Early attempts at hand brushing and airbrushing colored cocoa butter in the polycarbonate mold cavities were fine, everything was releasing OK. About a week ago I started having problems with the color sticking to the mold, almost always at the crown of the hemisphere. I'm working with colors made from mixing fat dispersible pigments (Roxy and Rich) at around 10%. I've read a number of posts on this forum and elsewhere about it, people point to improper tempering most often, with mold and ambient temperature mentioned as well. I've tried two of the most suggested techniques for tempering the butter. First was heating to 105F (40C), then cooling to 78F (26C), then heating back up to 86F-89F (30C-31C). Today I went with the technique mentioned by Kriss Harvey and others, heat to 100F (38C), then cool to 86F (30C) and use. I had failures in about 1/3 of the 24 cavities of the mold in BOTH situations. The overall process: The molds are washed in warm water with dish detergent, dried and fastidiously cleaned with a cotton puff. With the mold at room temperature I use a stamp to put the color in the cavity, repeatedly working it to get the pattern. Then spray a thin coat of white. I refrigerate briefly then let the mold sit for a couple hours at room temperature. For the shell, I've used both white chocolate and dark, it doesn't seem to matter. Shell thickness is not terribly thin or overly thick compared to what I've seen in demo's online. The shell chocolates are properly tempered with sylk. I refrigerate for 10 minutes after shelling. Then let the molds sit for a number of hours at room temperature before adding ganache (at 75F usually), then refrigerating briefly until the fill sets. Then I cap, again with tempered chocolate at around 89F (32C). After scraping once I add a small amount of chocolate and an acetate sheet, and spread flat with the spatula. Once again I refrigerate briefly. I've been going into the fridge right away and wonder if I should be waiting a bit beforehand, I've seen this suggested but in my lack of experience I don't know why this should matter. After this I have tried waiting just an hour to de-mold, and also waiting about 4 hours. I still get failures here and there. In the early attempts before this problem showed up, I was de-molding within an hour of coming out of the fridge and had good releases, but that wasn't when I was using the stamp to manipulate the color so I'm wondering if that is a factor. Also, I live in the Pacific NW and its been pretty rainy lately, so humidity is high outside, but only around 50% in my home. **Here's something that I did today that puzzles me, and may indicate where the problem lies. After shelling and cooling, I turned over half of the shells in the mold. All were perfect. But after filling, capping and releasing, some of those stuck (???). I expect there is a wealth of experience here, if anyone has anything helpful I'd appreciate it. Thanks in advance. Phil

Tree decorating dinner. Baked potato w Mexican chorizo And what's left of a flancocho for dessert

Grandma style pizza for Christmas Eve dinner.

I didn’t buy it - for the same price I can get two Bresse rabbits … you know, I am a price buyer 😎

With a round of Reblochon from our journey yesterday I opted forTartiflette for dinner … Potatoes, onion, ham, (Catalan) white wine & crème fraîche, all topped with Reblochon - and baked until golden 🤗 Enjoyed with said white wine. Very good and very filling …

The early bird catches the worm. I missed out.

Yes and he's growing up so fast! Also, I've never seen a chicken like that.

Damn that looks so good

Chicken => O.K. Burlap => not so much.

It's Poulet de Bresse! Of course it's expensive!

I got my final shipment of panettone from Goûter this afternoon: one Three Chocolate and another Apple Pie. Ooh, yum!

P.S. : hopefully there is one P at Aldi ?

I delivered the planned CFM earlier today, but now I’m getting ready for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, so I will post about it later! Merry Christmas!

When you’re already feeling miserable, the pain of every inconvenience is amplified many fold! I’m so sorry you’re under the weather and hope this will pass quickly!

I feel for you and your husband. What a terrible Christmas present. I came down with a nasty cold Monday and now my plans to make tourtiere have been put on hold. I just can't summon the energy. I'll probably make it for New Years Eve. I have a pork roast thawing out and we'll just make do with that.

@FauxPas Oh no! Of all the times to get sick. Wishing the two of you a speedy recovery

Thank you @TdeV. I have tried Goûter's chocolate panettone and it is delicious but my favorite is their traditional panettone. As a seasonal chocolatier, I see far too much chocolate this time of year! I'm ready for fruit sorbets and citrus tarts. Please report back on your panettone.

Thank you @TdeV. I have tried Goûter's chocolate panettone and it is delicious but my favorite is their traditional panettone. As a seasonal chocolatier, I see far too much chocolate this time of year! I'm ready for fruit sorbets and citrus tarts. Please report back on your panettone.

Best wishes to you and DH, @FauxPas. Thankful. I have no space or energy to add a vegetarian tourtière to my task list. 🙄

@blue_dolphin thank you for that thoughtful review. Ill make a point of going to Aldi Friday , and get one if they still exist. and indeed , Ill use it for French toast , thick cut , and pre-infused w the eggs ++ via the chamber vacuum thank you again.

Purolater finally delivered my order back to Goûter yesterday and they very quickly re-shipped by FedEx and it’s already made it to Memphis! In the meantime, I enjoyed a slice of the $6.49 Aldi panettone this morning. This is the one The Wirecutter named as one of their top 10, specifically, best under $10. I think there was only one other under $10, the Trader Joe’s panettone 🙃 which I have tried in previous years and found dry and relatively tasteless. In comparison to TJ's, this one is quite good. I’m sure it doesn’t hold a candle to premium offerings but it was pleasantly moist with a floral vanilla aroma and flavor. The inclusions are golden raisins and candied orange peel, both with good texture, neither dry nor mushy. The crumb obviously isn’t as airy as the Goûter photos show but it’s quite light, not stodgy, dense or gummy. I’ll probably cut this up and freeze in portions to be used in French toast or maybe a breakfast casserole but it’s honestly quite pleasant to eat on its own, with or without a smear of butter. I’d say it was $6.49 well spent!