RobertM

I use it in clusters. Dark chocolate mixed with the coconut then just drop on parchment in bite size mounds. Also coconut cream bonbons dipped in dark or milk chocolate. ← I hadn't thought of that, I thought the coconut for confections should be toasted or the sweetend flake variety - but that does sound like it would be delicious - is dessicated coconut the variety of coconut used in a "mounds" bar???

Wow, those look delicious...!!! I'll be trying those this weekend!!!

This is probably a basic question but what uses do you have for dessicated coconut? I have a small quantity here and am at a loss for what to use it in, or even "how" to use it. Thanks for the information - Bob

I had heard running vegetable oil through the airbrush, once you're done with your work will help to keep the brush clean and ready for use when needed - anyone ever hear of this? Thoughts on it?

Sorry - didn't mean to be obnoxious - Here is a link that better explains en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mama_Juana

If you're interested in a liquor with aphrodisiac qualities (be they truth or legend) you may want to try and find some Mama Juana - it's a rum/red wine/honey mixture that is flavored with a variety of local herbs and barks. I just had some in the Dominican Republic. I can't testify to any aphrodisiac properties - as I didn't care for the flavor - none the less - I just pass along the information available at hand

I've found it somewhat useful. I'm pretty much self-taught and some of the ingredients in the formulas and technigues I am not familiar with, but, I'm working on it, and with the help of reading forums here I'm getting more comfortable. If it wouldn't be risking a copyright infringement, I could post a copy of a Formula here to let you see what they are like - any specific request for a confection?

...and Manufacturing Confectioner has "Choice Confections" by Walter Richmond for $75.00. I've not seen the Complete Confectionary Techniques book but I own Choice Confections - is the CCT worth that much more?

I just Googled the book and found the same book on several other sites, for example, BiggerBooks dot com is selling it for $236.91 (American)

I seem to recall reading somewhere that it's difficult to ship chocolates from coast to coast, because the planes have to fly above the Rockies, the change in air pressure causes damage to the fragile chocolate shells. Supposedly this is why Mrs. See's has production facilities on both sides of the mountain range. Of course, someone could have just been playing with my extreme gullability

Is there a reason to use such a large HVLP spray gun as the Fuji?

I hope I won't get into copyright troubles but here is the information from Tomric on the use of colors... Color 101: These easy and ready to use colored cocoa butters, can be used in many different ways to color your chocolates or create your own confectionery designs. Use with a brush, airbrush or hand paint as shown below. Steps 1-4: Warm New World Chocolate Colored Cocoa Butters to 85 and 90 degrees farenheight. (Gold, white and purple.) Using finger, swipe gold in one direction inside each cavity of mold.Turn mold around and swipe using purple. Steps 5-8: Using airbrush, spray a thin coating of white into cavities. Create cavities using tempered chocolate.Fill cavities and insert roasted almond. Cap pieces and refrigerate until piece is able to be removed from mold. Made in the USA - FDA Approved colors Sorry the pictures did not copy/paste into the reply - if interested, follow this link: http://www.tomric.com/content.aspx?title=FeatureMore

I recently had the opportunity to meet the Tomric corporate Pastry Chef, Brian Donaghy who has produced some amazingly nice pieces of chocolate. In discussing his airbrushed pieces he uses a Badger 250 airbrush and an Iwata Smart Jet compressor. He sprays his colors at 92 degrees Farenheit. I notice most of you are using larger spary guns - such as John DePaula with a Fuji XT-2. Has anyone tried using the smaller units, such as the Badger? Also, everyone here seems to be coloring their own cocoa butter, but there are pre-colored butters available, has anyone tried using these pre-done colors? (Chef Rubber has some amazing colors). I'm seriously wanting to start practicing with spraying cocoa butters/chocolate - and really appreciate this entire topic in the forum. Just wondering what type of system to purchase - Brian was also showing a fun effect - spraying colored cocoa butter on COLD chocolate produces a texture almost like "flocking" - Brian was spraying some molded easter bunnies - and the effects of spraying on the cold chocolate was really interesting. Can't wait to try it - perhaps this weekend as DC is scheduled for some nasty weather -

My wife and I were in Cancun last October and the resort there had flavored tequilas. Each day they would put out fresh bottles of these different flavors. Some of them that I recall were Coconut, Hot Pepper, Pineapple, I believe there was a peach - they merely put the "flavor" in an empty bottle and filled it with tequila, let it steep for a week or two and then drink. Now, with that said, we just returned from the Dominican Republic where we discovered their island unique drink called Mama Juana (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mama_Juana) which is a rum based drink. The makers fill an empty bottle with various branches, twigs, herbs, etc and then fill the bottle with a mixture of rum, red wine and honey. Allow it to steep and then drink. I did try this while in the islands, and while some people really loved it, I found it tasted like turpintine - But, in going along with the topic, it is a 'flavored' rum

I also live in Northern Virginia and decided not to put up with the mess that will be Inauguration Day - so, we are heading to and all inclusive in Punta Cana for the week - Someone else will be doing the cooking and I'll be holding a cold drink in hand while watching the surf ....

Chocolate covered strawberry's paired w/an excellent cabernet Last year my wife and I did a "chocolate tasting party" - for that, I made several varities of truffles and had different manufactured chocolates (white, milk and dark) around the dining room table for our guests to taste and compare. Different percentages of chocolate, single source chocolates - (hopefully you get the idea). I wanted to take it to a different level besides just "tasting" different chocolates. I made a three course menu of desserts made from (1) white chocolate (2) milk chocolate and (3) dark chocolate. We paired those up with different wines For exampe: White Chocolate Rounds of Mousse paired w/Jackson-Triggs (Vidal Icewine) Milk Chocolate Cheesecake paired w/Francis Ford Coppola Directors Cut (2005 Pinot Noir) Flourless Chocolate Cake (La Bete Noire) paired w/St. Francis ("Old Vines" Zinfindel 2004) & Fonseca (Porto Bin No. 27) We had a wonderful response, everyone enjoyed themselves, went home with a sugar buzz and a wine buzz - and besides, what a tremendous way to celebrate Valentines Day - I began a thread elsewhere on this years party -

Apologies, I'm trying to work and type at the same time and for some reason, it's just not working right It's the RETAIL Bakers Association. I've attended the RBA trade show several times and was amazed at the information presented. Granted, it's suppliers that are "showing" at the show, but there are seminars going on throughout and bottom line, the suppliers are there for us, if we fail, they fail, so our success if paramount to theirs. What a wonderful circle -

How about the American Bakers Association? http://www.americanbakers.org/calendar/AnnualConvention.htm and then there is Retyail Bakers Associatin: http://www.rbanet.com/ For dues paying members, they operate a "how to" web site for questions and answers and also provide assistance with different formulas.

Going along with this line of questioning, John and Kiras make ladybugs and bees with a molded chocolate http://www.johnandkiras.com/SHOP/Spring-Gifts Anyone have any ideas how they create this effect, especially in a production run?

I moved over to Callets a few years ago and when my supplier was sold out of the dark chocolate variety this past December, I had to move over to the blocks and cut/chop as before. Talk about a feeling like a walk back in time. I much prefer the Callets. I am paying $220.00 for a case (two 22# bags per case) so, that equates to about $5.00/pound. Maybe one day when my chocolate company takes off and I become the next Norman Love, I'll be able to afford a large 100# or higher chocolate melter - just put in the blocks let them melt and off you go...sort of

Count me in as a Caramel Junkie - and a newbie - although I've been lurking around the corner, reading and absorbing all your knowledge - I hope that I'll be able to contribute to your knowledge and fun as well. In the meantime, I'm that shadow over there in the corner... I have a very old confectionery book that calls for adding wheat flour to caramel - has anyone here ever heard of that? Or done it before? If so, what were your experiences? Bob

Last night we sat and reviewed our potential menu, making the semi-final decisions. We decided on the following for each course: 1 st Course: lime curd/citrus salad topped with white chocolate mousse 2nd Course: Milk Chocolate Tart with Gold Leaf 3rd Course: Dark Chocolate and Pomegranate Cake with Dark Chocolate ganache We have a friend who is a wine wholesaler here in the area. Tomorrow we present her with the menu for review and wine recommendations. Anyone interested in my keeping this thread going?

Thanks, but I'm all healed now and back to "normal" (as if anyone who works with molten sugar and chocolate is normal...) Best part of the story is, I went to my Dermatologist (same guy I've been going to for 30 years). I wanted a professionals opinion of the potential damage I was sure to suffer. He unwrapped my fingers, took one look at it and said "Eh - you'll be fine..." Oh - and that'll be $20.00 for the office visit... Meanwhile...back in the world of reality....

I have noticed the PC molds I use (and the ones I have run through the dishwasher) are becoming "cloudy" for lack of a better word and the ones that I hand wash with plain hot water still look like the day I purchased them. I'm planning on going to the Philadelphia National Candy Show on Sunday, if I can make it, I will stop by Tomric's booth and ask them the best way they recommend on cleaning their molds and then share it with the forum.

While it's been over a month since anyone posted here, I just saw this and (ashamedly) will add my own. I was making a large batch of Almond Toffee by myself without my helpers (1st mistake). I dumped the batch out onto the oiled marble slab, put my kettle back on my stove and began to spread this wonderful conglomeration of butter and sugar to it's proper thickness. Using my offset spatula I carefully began to move the liquid sugar into the corners and was momentarily distracted while my right hand was moving left to right and I ended up dragging three of my fingers through the 300+ degree of liquid sugar. The batch never got finished, and I ended up wearing gauze badages for the better part of a month or so while my hand healed. Luckily no scarring... But - that's my sad tale of woe for the day...