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pastrygirl

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Everything posted by pastrygirl

  1. Solid bars should stay shiny, just keep them out of the sun. For filled items like bonbons, consider making solid chocolate versions for display. Or hollow, just without the extra fats and moisture that cause problems over time.
  2. If you have one, use it! I don't spray directly under my hood because that would be working on top of my gas range, but it still sucks up most of the clouds of fine CB spray when working nearby. There is a dramatic difference if I spray without the hood on.
  3. I don't know, but they make me think of pineapple tidbits.
  4. You are on the right track. Your room temp is rather warm for chocolate work, most of us prefer 65-70F, 18-21C. Chocolate will crystallize more quickly at cooler temps, which also means you need to work more quickly and warm it back up more often as it sits and thickens in your work bowl. There is definitely such thing as too thin shell, I think the ideal is about 1.5 mm. I also think the relative translucency of white chocolate makes it even trickier to tell when the shell is right. You might be able to see CB colors through 1 mm white chocolate and freak out but it should still hold together.
  5. @Yoda I'd consider Zephyr to be moderate fluidity compared to other white chocolates. But I too have been struggling with thickness on white chocolate shells. Instead of planning on double-shelling, try cooling and agitating the chocolate a little more and see how it thickens, and/or let it sit in the molds for a minute.
  6. Thanks, I'm not familiar with self-rotating models or Doyon. I mean, I worked at a bakery with a rotating deck oven in the 90's but I don't think that's what OP is looking for. Blodgett is generally well regarded though.
  7. On Project Bakeover (Food Network Canada, Hulu), Chef Steve Hodge makes madeleine sandwiches. I bring you the madeleine slicer aka bread knife https://fb.watch/aMAgnpHxsv/
  8. check out Savour, looks more affordable with some intro classes https://savourschool.com.au/browse-classes/ I took an in-person class there years ago (2009?) and I believe a few other members here have enjoyed the online classes
  9. I follow that guy on Insta, he def does nice work but I have not tried any of his classes. While it is helpful and inspiring to see how others do it, I think you have to put in the hours of practice to understand the material before getting into advanced decorating. It sounds like you're starting essentially from zero and budget is a factor, so I'd say learn as much as you can from those two books then see what your pain points are. What have you made so far? What chocolate are you using and how do you temper it? Do you already have an airbrush?
  10. Totally agree. I'd add Valrhona Inspirations as needing help, they don't emulsify as easily.
  11. You're welcome. Yes some people vacuum seal Check mod pac for trays. I think trying to fill assortments to order is a pain especially if everything is frozen. If people are sending a gift they don't necessarily know what the recipients favorites are, they just want a nice presentation and yumminess. You could offer a couple of different assortments - caramels, fruits & nuts, all dark, etc.
  12. Welcome to eG and the exciting world of chocolate. Allow 1 day in the fridge to thaw frozen bonbons before bringing them to room temp. I store bulk pieces in rigid Ziploc boxes with layers of padding in between and boxed assortments in 2 gallon freezer bags with excess air sucked out. Packaging is a whole job in itself and there is a topic dedicated to packaging sources. The supply chain issues of late have affected candy packaging, many paper and plastic items have been in short supply and prices have increased. Packaging options can seem overwhelming. I'd say focus on a snug fit and not too tall for whatever size mold you choose, if you plan to mail/ship things you don't want them rattling around in the box. After that it's how much you want to spend and what you can actually get. Have you already bought your molds? Maybe someone here uses the same and can advise. I use a lot of CW2295, a nice basic dome that's easy to clean.
  13. Since it's water-soluble it would probably not dissolve in fat-based chocolate but if the powder is fine enough it might not matter. Yes, you can use whatever, the stone wheels provide a different motion of smashing and smearing to make small pieces into smooth paste instead of endless chopping (like a food processor). I mostly use mine to make hazelnut butter.
  14. Then here are a couple of ideas: Mix whole or crushed coffee beans into melted chocolate, let it infuse for awhile, then strain it out. Or infuse cocoa butter? Puree coffee beans in a food processor or blender (with added CB?) until liquefied then strain out any grit and add to chocolate. Coffee is pretty oily, like nuts or cacao, will liquefy eventually if you keep going. I tried making something like this once, it was super intense, a little goes a long way https://www.gratuitousfoodity.com/2016/02/27/dark-matter-coffee-bean-chocolate/ Also look into Felchlin coffee OSA. Their OSA line is fat-based fillings that will soften cocoa butter when mixed with chocolate but supposedly you can still add a small amount to a molded bar.
  15. Do you have a melanger? Add actual coffee beans or freeze dried/instant.
  16. I'm in Seattle, I do use alcohol in ganache but don't actually calculate it. I haven't been caught yet 😂 Would the winery be horrified if you cooked the wine?
  17. yeah, totally Natural fruit pigments might be less stable over time or susceptible to scorching when heating but for example Chef Rubber has CB with natural color or freeze dried fruit, so it must work? (I have not used either product line) https://chefrubber.com/cb/ 30-50 grams per color should be plenty to start playing with
  18. I rinse to remove any factory dust or contamination, air dry, then polish with cotton balls. Polycarbonate molds are virtually indestructible in a home setting - your hot water should not be coming out of the tap above 60C - just don’t put them in a dishwasher with a high heating cycle or harsh detergents.
  19. The trick is finding the sweet spot in between 'doesn't set' and 'sets really fast'. It should set pretty quickly, and you do need to work quickly. It takes practice. If you don't remove the excess seed it continues to be seed and leads to over-crystallization. Plus it gets in the way. You might be able to work around chunks if you're dipping, but you really don't want chunks when molding. It will take much more color to tint white chocolate since it is already opaque white from the milk and sugar. You can do it, but I don't think you'll get bright colors.
  20. Welcome! Yes, that's normal chocolate behavior representing less or more crystallization, having to warm it back up is totally normal. Yes, do remove any unmelted seed. Any color added to chocolate or cocoa butter should be fat-soluble. water soluble colors may not mix in properly.
  21. Yes. "recyclables need to be clean, empty, dry and unbagged" https://ecology.wa.gov/Waste-Toxics/Reducing-recycling-waste/How-to-recycle/Recycle-Right
  22. Task I irrationally hate: cleaning fatty residue out of jars before recycling. Peanut butter jars, chili crisp jars, olive oil bottles ... ugh! Host's note: this began as a discussion in the Kitchen jobs you hate beyond reason topic.
  23. lower the oven temp a bit
  24. I'd try American buttercream, it might be a little easier to work with than royal icing and will crust over with a matte finish.
  25. Seems like a good place to share this: The USDA has added sesame as the 9th major allergen that must be declared on food labels, effective 2023. https://www.fda.gov/food/food-labeling-nutrition/food-allergies
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