pastrygirl

I sent this query to my brother who is not currently practicing as a lawyer but who has passed the bar in 3 states, and he said go by what is current according to WA legislature, the 1% specified here. https://app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=66.12.160 Don't worry about what was repealed, that no longer exists, and the federal 0.5% only applies in states that have not made their own rules. I agree that it sounds like BS that he wants to examine every component separately, and no layer can have more than 1%. The product is a finished piece, and sounds like yours are normal small bonbon size. Is he some kind of fanatical teetotaler?

AFAIK, it shouldn't matter if your ganache has milk fat, coconut fat, or bacon fat, it simply needs less available water. Try less of the liquid and/or more sugars. It's too bad the Aw meters are so expensive, we each need one!

@YetiChocolates this says 1% or less with a label is OK without a liquor license. https://app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=66.12.160

Yes, here in WA each piece has to be individually sealed in 4 mil plastic film. I work part time for such a company, we have a flow wrap machine with a couple different sizes of film for different sized items. Once the pieces are wrapped they can go into regular paper boxes.

Ugh. I agree, the liquor license would not be worth it. This guy must have his own agenda or be on a power trip or something. It looked to me like the limit for WA is 1%, if he’s insisting it’s 0.5%, that definitely needs clarity. I use very little alcohol myself. I have a hazelnut truffle with about 125 g frangelico to 2 kg other stuff, that should be safe. I might make a rum caramel bonbon or something every now and then but I’ve mostly lost my enthusiasm for alcohol.

So in that example the kahlua ganache is only part of the piece? There’s another layer of ganache and the shell? So the 2.5 grams might have 2% abv but it’s only a quarter of the truffle, making the whole finished piece 0.5%? Can the LCB give you any guidelines on how they want you to calculate it? if you are over the limit and you do want to continue, looks like you need the grocery store with a snack bar license and alcohol in candy endorsement. Edited to add -or maybe that’s only for the seller and there’s a different license for producers. The tasting room obviously already has a liquor license so LCB is looking at you as a producer. https://lcb.wa.gov/publications/licensing/forms/LIQ-180-Retail-Liquor_License-Endorsement-Descriptions-and-Fees.doc Maybe you need the liquor producer license - is it worth $500? https://lcb.wa.gov/publications/licensing/forms/LIQ-181-Non-Retail-Liquor-License-Descriptions-and-Fees.doc I hope it was a good event otherwise.

Which is it, 2-9% or under 1/2? Or do you mean 2-9% of your ganache by weight is a wine or liqueur that might only be 15-20% alcohol? If 10% of your recipe is 40 proof (20% alcohol) spirits, doesn’t that make the whole recipe 2% abv? Updating the labels is a pain but can probably be accomplished with a sticker. Boozy chocolates came up elsewhere recently. Most states have strict rules, not just us. http://www.crowncandies.com/en/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/02/alcohol_confectionery.pdf the above list is a few years old but says WA allows 1%, not half. I wonder if you could send a sample to the same labs that do all the cannabis testing. Or do you have any contacts at WSDA or your local health dept who could help you with the calculations?

Couple more thoughts - You don't have to childproof each piece, just seal the bag? Is the silica packet required? I think most confections don't really need desiccant and it may even be detrimental. If you can get away without it, that saves a few cents and a step.

Hmm. Well, first of all, do the sticker-ing ahead of time, if possible. You should be able to get those bags hot-stamped, at least on one side. There is a cost, but stickers and labor cost money, too. Here is an example of custom fees ... https://glerup.com/custom-packaging How many pairs of hands can you have on this at once? I'd try an assembly line, one person puts the silica packet in, maybe two people are weighing/counting product and filling, a third closes and heat seals. Many hands make light work.

Oh, ok, I misunderstood. If you dust the cavities (and don't blow it all of with an airbrush), it will stick just due to static but you have little control - can't paint a design. Otherwise, I still think cocoa butter would be the better medium, but if you're willing to experiment, please share!

And you want to paint a design, not just dust all over? Since it's on chocolate, you could try cocoa butter. To answer your question, isopropyl alcohol directly on food kind of disturbs me. It should evaporate, but chocolate may be more porous than polycarbonate, and it does say external use only. You're right, regular 40 proof vodka still has a lot of water. Look for 80-100 proof or higher, even Everclear, or Bacardi 151 proof rum, to evaporate more quickly. You can also use alcohol-based lemon extract but it will leave flavor as well.

Quiche, with its egg and milk custard, is not something that would be great to sit out all day on a warm summer afternoon. The health dept would want it to stay chilled. Which is possible, but ... MB, as you go through your inspections, make sure you know what they'll allow to be kept at outside temp for the day. "Dry" baked goods are safe - cookies, biscuits, bread, cake. I know I suggested a cheese biscuit above, but there may be concern about high-moisture cheeses. A hard cheddar or parmesan baked into or on top of a scone is one thing, obviously you wouldn't leave cheesecake out all day, and softer cheeses like fresh goat cheese or mozzarella may also be forbidden. Also see what other food vendors have and try to find a unique niche. If someone else specializes in 25 flavors of macarons, maybe you don't need macarons too.

It makes a delightfully gooey grilled cheese sandwich.

Yes, I have a retail line of chocolate bars, chocolate truffles, and caramels that I sell through a handful of stores and at various events. Chocolate festivals, wine walks, and crafts fairs can bring good sales. I also work with a couple of caterers to fulfill their dessert needs. The variety helps keep it fun. I'm still a starving artist, though, I make a living but barely. Time and energy for sales and marketing are my weak spots, I'd rather be playing in the kitchen!

Maybe a couple of savories for lunch - a cheesy biscuit or spinach croissant. If the weather is cool to start, you could certainly try some mothers's day chocolates.

@Merry Berry ok, so not a farmers market, some of everything. Is it year-round? What are the hours? Like anything, you'll just have to see how it goes, but I'd try a handful of breakfast pastries for the early birds and some cookies, brownies & seasonal fruit tartlets for afternoon snacking. Good luck & have fun!

I did a couple of summer farmers markets my first few years and found them not worth the struggle. Now, I don't sign up for anything outdoors between mid June and early September. It' s hard to compete with summer fruit and ice cream. People shopping at farmers markets tend to be a bit more health conscious, if they're having a frozen treat while they shop and buying peaches for later, they don't need chocolate, too. And if it's REALLY hot, people don't go out. Maybe it's us soft NW-ers, but if it is 70-80, people are out & eating ice cream, if it's 90, the local beaches and lakes are packed. It might be hotter than you think. If the market is set up in a parking lot or street, the sun has already been warming the pavement since it came up. Even though your booth has the shade of the tent, the ground 3 feet in front of you might be able to fry an egg. A solid bar will be fine at 75F in the shade, but ganache truffles begin to get soft. Anyone who drove is going back to a hot car and if they're not going straight home, they can't leave chocolate in a hot parked car. You can try ice packs or insulated pouches but those add cost and only help for so long. Maybe make sure to have a couple of really chocolatey baked goods in the mix so that people get a taste for what you do with chocolate without risking melted bonbons.

Shipping in cold weather isn't so bad. It does add cost for a box, bubble wrap, and time to pack and bring to the post office. Shipping in warm weather is a lot trickier. You can add an ice pack but that adds a lot of weight, and you can ship next day air but that's very expensive, especially with the added weight of the ice pack. If you end up shipping hundreds of packages a month, there are volume discounts with various carriers, or you can have them pick up from your lab. I usually only get a handful of website orders per month. I have a stash of various sizes small boxes and get free bubble wrap recycled from my SIL's workplace, and with a USPS account, I can create and pay for my shipping label online from home and not have to wait in line at the post office. I did have to drop off orders every day last week, but I'm within 3 miles of 2 different post offices, so it's not too far out of my way. My main tip is to pack your boxes as full with bubble wrap as possible. The one time I didn't, the box got crushed. I always think of my brothers ordering heavy things like boxes of ammo, I want my bonbons safe even if a heavy box gets thrown on top if it. If you have any tips on SEO or online customer acquisition, I'd love to read them! I built my own website with Squarespace, it works but there is a lot of room for improvement. Aren't you supposed to imbed keyword into all your photos or something? I'm always curious when someone across the country orders from me. I wonder if they found me by searching, maybe got a gift from someone local or one of the subscription boxes I've worked with? It's kind of exciting, though!

Check your local hardware store for a scraper that is wide enough to scrape the whole mold in one pass. I use one like this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00870P7QC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_ep_dp_lv.JBbWRD8B42

Sounds tedious, but possible. Oh, the struggles we endure for our art! 😂

I had used the melanger to grind the apples into white chocolate plus added cocoa butter - one more reason you need a melanger, I knew there was one more sample I should have sent you! But yes, otherwise you might need to pass your mix through a sieve if you don't want bits of skin.

Agree, get as many as you can afford and have space for. Shipping cost for 3 or 4 molds is probably only a little more than for one mold ... that’s how I usually justify it! If the pieces come out cleanly, you don’t really need to wash and dry between uses, but on the other hand if you have build-up of chocolate on top of the mold and solid pieces get scraped back into your melter/bowl of tempered chocolate it can turn into a chunky nightmare. I'm a fan of the 2295, nice size & number of pieces and easy to polish and decorate. I think I have 6 of them.

How big is your egg? You might need to get crafty.

I've used hard bottom bags with a bit of paper grass. https://glerup.com/shop-now-candy-packaging/bags-pouches-candy-confection-food-packaging/hard-bottom-bags/clear-hard-bottom-bag-140x305-3-1-4-x-2-x-12.html I've seen boxes with inserts to hold the egg, similar idea to these cupcake boxes with inserts https://www.papermart.com/clear-gold-bottom-p-e-t-cupcake-boxes/id=38533 dual inserts at The Chocolate Lab: https://www.instagram.com/p/BgkZQ2ChndG/ Or attach the egg to a chocolate base so it is free-standing. From David H Chow: https://www.instagram.com/p/Bg2KvZuAgW2/

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01L2G8ND6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05__o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I used the above freeze dried granny smith apples in a white chocolate bar for christmas, and liked it so much i might make it year-round. They have the tart flavor that I want and the green skins contributed a bit of natural color. Trader Joe's has freeze-dried Fujis that would be a lot sweeter, just depends on your taste in apples.