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pastrygirl

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Everything posted by pastrygirl

  1. So I was curious enough to order a humidity meter, but I still think that for me temp alone is enough of a clue whether good tempering is likely because it's always humid here.
  2. Must be nice to have a dedicated “chocolate lab” and that sort of control! Restaurants and other commercial kitchens like commissaries rarely have temp or humidity control. The pastry dept of a big hotel might have a temp controlled chocolate room, but every restaurant Kitchen I’ve worked in is freezing in the winter and sticky in the summer. You do what you can to make it work.
  3. How old is old? My little 7 cup one is late 90's, I only got a new one for more capacity. It's a bit disappointing, the larger capacity really only applies to light things. I would put a 2kg jar of natural peanut butter in the small one and process to mix the oil back in. I got a new 13 cup Cuisinart, merrily put 2 jars of peanut butter in and it would barely move. My double-batch dreams were dashed!
  4. I definitely have days when it sets too fast or too slow, or sets but is super streaky. I usually blame kitchen gremlins or assume it was user error, like leaving too much seed or not checking my temper diligently. Maybe it is humidity and I haven't made the connection due to not monitoring it. I made some bars a few weeks ago that were disturbingly streaky inside and set up slowly. I think it was clear that day but warm. Oh, and some bonbons that stuck like crazy - it was warm, I was tired and rushing, I didn't check my tempers well. Don't know about the humidity, probably at least 50%. If you usually work closer to 70, you're dealing with heat AND humidity. Nice if you're an orchid, but ... Yes! So can we conclude that if it's particularly humid, it's even more important to get kitchen temp down? I dislike being ruled by the weather @Jim D. Good luck this summer, those big orders will surely be nerve-wracking.
  5. yes, polish 'til your fingers bleed, then spray with ... looks like 3 or 4 colors of cocoa butter
  6. I like fish sauce, but can’t imagine it smelling very good at any step of the way Likewise, I wonder if the soy sauce just went through an awkward phase, maybe it’s funky before it’s done but then it mellows out?
  7. That's interesting. Maybe it's their standard disclaimer and applies more to appliances? Hard to see what could go wrong with a hotel pan! I was shopping for a refrigerator and bought a commercial one because the warranty would be void if I used a residential fridge for commercial use. How different is this from that?
  8. Yeah, above 75 I try to avoid tempering if possible. I just moved to a new kitchen that stays at about 70 overnight then warms up if the sun comes out. Trying to make it work for the summer and hoping fall/winter will be better. The primary tenant makes ice cream and has 8 freezers plugged in and putting out heat but most won't be in use October-April. I was really happy yesterday morning when it was gray and raining! Otherwise, fans and the fridge are the way to go. For those of you who struggle with humidity, what sort of weirdness or difficulty happens? I don't monitor my indoor humidity, but I'd guess it rarely goes below 50% outside - Seattle lies between a lake and a bay, lots of water even when it's not raining! Maybe I've adapted or don't know any different when it comes to chocolate - I did make French macaron despite the rain yesterday, let them dry in the warm spot where the walk-in compressor vents and they rose nicely Or is humidity more of a problem as the temp gets higher? Maybe at 60F humidity is less of a problem than at 70F.
  9. You're frigid? Funny, I thought chocolate was supposed to be an aphrodisiac ... I think about 63-65F is ideal kitchen temp. Don't get me wrong, I like being next to the oven when it gets any colder, and too cold for chocolate is a thing, but I stay pretty warm if I'm moving around, and I'm happier when the chocolate sets quickly so the cooler the better (within reason).
  10. I just tried my iPhone through a freezer zipper bag and it was fine.
  11. If you haven't thought of it already, wrap it in plastic wrap or stick it in a large ziploc bag. I admire your dedication to tracking down ingredients and molds (that is a cool one, though). I'd probably be making questionable substitutions from day 1
  12. Glucose is usually more viscous than corn syrup, but otherwise is a good substitute. Glucose plus a little extra liquid? Corn syrup is closer consistency to honey.
  13. I rather enjoyed almond granita when I was in Italy a few years ago. I'm not sure how many almonds it takes to make, but at least it's refreshing.
  14. For small runs of labels, I get blank, pre-cut sheets of labels from onlinelabels.com and print them myself. They come in a huge variety of sizes and have design templates. Order extra in case of paper jams! I used the silver foil at Christmas and my printer had a hard time with it, though the kraft and clear have been fine. Oh, except some truffles that have been frozen and thawed got smeared, but that might be my inkjet ink, not the paper. But fine for dry applications like chocolate bars.
  15. A vendor contacted me looking for help launching a range of private label chocolate bars. I told him, sure, first figure out what molds you want to use, then how to package and label them ... easier said than done! (But hopefully the process will help him understand why small makers charge what we do) Do you want a thinner bar or room for inclusions or layers?
  16. Obligatory disclaimer that canning is nothing to mess around with and consult your local Department of Agriculture, but ... I think as long as you have enough sugar there should be a way. Jarred caramel sauces are pretty common, I don't know at what point enough sugar makes up for it being low-acid. And milk products including ghee are canned so I don't think the butter itself is a problem. Looks like Trader Joe's ghee comes in a plastic jar, I doubt they're pressure-canning that!
  17. I like the squared mold, but that propeller one looks like a nightmare to polish. What are the crispy-looking bits inside? Outer space is gorgeous!
  18. Thanks for the link! I kind of like those, I'll check out that site more. Any other good cake supply websites I might not know about? I was looking at these clear pillars and plates: https://www.countrykitchensa.com/shop/assembly-display/9-clear-reg-locking-columns/53/537/1176/626811/ https://www.countrykitchensa.com/shop/assembly-display/8-clear-locking-round-separator-plate/53/537/1176/1092/ All I could find in the local stores was the white Grecian columns from Wilton, just too old school. The Roman ones are at least a cleaner look. The bride is white and her groom is Indian & Sikh, so they're doing a red, white, and gold color scheme but otherwise Western style reception. So we had talked about some fresh berries on the cake, maybe raspberries covering the top of the 9" tier. Any cake drums that show will be gold, I was also wondering if columns and plates could be spray-painted gold or if that would look even tackier than white plastic ...
  19. I know, right? When the thought of getting older and more decrepit is too depressing, I just think of friends like Matt dying from colon cancer and John in a bike crash before they even got a chance to whine about turning 40, and suddenly it's not so bad. YMMV. Cheers!
  20. @JeanneCake, I was looking at support systems just now, thinking better safe than sorry. If I have the bottom layer on a sturdy board, then pillars and separator plates for the 12" and 9", can I get away with the pillars separating the top 6" tier resting on the cardboard in the middle of the double-tall 9" tier? I don't really want separation between the lower layers but maybe I should have the structure. I do want to separate the top tier, but don't think there is a column longer than 9". Or is the wilton 2 plate system better for the top? I went to the craft store today and got some 12" plastic dowels, they would go all the way through the taller layer. However, I also kind of want clear columns, so that limits choices.
  21. That's my thought as well. More nut oil will make it softer. You could even try adding a pure nut oil like this one http://a.co/9W2P81T And are you roasting your hazelnuts? I'll allow you your preference for raw pistachios, but hazelnuts are one that I think are vastly improved by a significant roast. Why is your praline paste so inconsistent, are you using different brands?
  22. Looks a little pointy to be hibiscus, and dogwoods have 4 petals (I just googled). I don't assume all flower molds are botanically correct, but since this one has five petals I'll show my WA state pride and go with apple blossom YMMV.
  23. I thought non-deodorized smelled like chocolate and that is why some white chocolates such as El Rey are more flavorful ... no?
  24. So I never make the “kitchen sink” types because I don’t want to stand there stirring all day, but I agree that caramelizing the sugar on its own gives you control over the caramel flavor. You’re caramelizing the sugar directly instead of toasting milk proteins. I think that is why the other versions are so sweet - if you cook a soft caramel to 250f, that’s not hot enough to actually caramelize the sugar, which happens around 315f. At lower temps you’re browning the milk proteins and getting Maillard reactions but the sugar isn’t decomposing like it does at higher heat.
  25. Perfect! That’ll be the plan, then - construct for easy and uniform serving. Thanks!
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