escry
-
Posts
95 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Store
Help Articles
Posts posted by escry
-
-
Yep. As stated above, I cannot tell a difference in my dark and milk ganaches. However there is so much sugar in our white that it does get a bit sweeter....
Patrick, I am not sure whether, (1) as you stated in your earlier thread, that the lack of additional sweetness having added invertase to your ganaches is a sign of the invertase not working. Or (2) whether you regret the added sweetness to your white chocolate ganache.
(1) Adding invertase should not perceptably increase the sweetness of a ganache. However, to my taste such a ganache does acquire a slight taste of glucose. Whatever, invertase takes some time to act. In my early days of experimenting with invertase, I made two otherwise identical sheets of ganache, adding 1g of 2,400 SU invertase per 1kg of couverture to just one. I cut these sheets, but left some squares unenrobed. These squares I checked every few days. The ones with invertase did not dry out as quickly or as completely.
(2) White chocolate has so much sugar and milk powder, and requires less added moisture (lower ratio of cream to chocolate), that it does not really require any measures to prolong shelf life (with respect to similarly dark chocolate ganaches). If adding invertase increases sweetness, consider not adding any invertase or invert sugar.
-
If I take 1kg of 70% cocoa couverture and create a ganche by adding 1kg cream and nothing else, then my resultant ganche will have 300g sucrose (and about 30g lactose).
If I then choose to add about 8% invert sugar, I will add approximately 80g glucose and 80g fructose. The whole ganache (2,160g) will now contain 300g sucrose plus 80g glucose plus 80g fructose plus 30g lactose, ie 490g sugars or 22.7% sugars.
If however I make a ganache with 1,080g of the same couverture and 1,080g cream and convert the constituent sugars of the couverture with 1g of invertase, then the resultant ganache (2,160g) will have 162g glucose plus 162g fructose and 33g lactose, ie 357g sugars or 16.5% sugars.
Both ganaches use the same couverture, but the second is less sweet.
I'll leave it to the chemist to say if theoretically 300g sucrose plus 80g glucose plus 80g fructose plus 30g lactose (ganache 1) has greater humicant properties than 162g glucose plus 162g fructose and 33g lactose (ganache 2). In my experience both add an extra week of shelf life with respect to bacterial/mold growth and, more importantly, avoid drying out of the bonbon over time.
-
Patrick
Adding invert sugar increases the sweetness of a ganache, whereas adding invertase converts the constituent sucrose of the chocolate so does not (significantly) add to the sweetness of ganache.
To compensate for the added sweetness of invert sugar one can always use a less sweet chocolate.
I prefer invertase as I choose the chocolate first (and wish the consumer to taste the chocolate first), and only add very subtle infusions of flavour.
Though there are many great chocolates out there, many of the very best are around the 65% to 75% cocoa level, and are perfected blended and balanced with respect to sugar. To my taste, adding invert sugar to such ganaches destroys this balance.
-
If you wish to recreate the same texture that you are familiar with when using a 35% fat cream with the, say 45% fat cream you have bought by mistake then you can achieve very acceptable results by cutting your heavy cream with water to bring the fat content down to 35%.
Indeed cutting cream with water gives a ganache a nice clean taste that I highly value.
Note, should you add above about 3 parts water to 5 parts cream you may find your sheet of ganache overcontracting and cracking.
-
As a small scale chocolatier, I'd say that a guitar is one of the three most invaluable tools. Cutting sheets of ganache any other way will soon drive you to distraction.
The other two: air conditioning and antibacteria wipes!
Good luck with your DIY.
-
The cheapest way to a vibrating table that vibrates at the correct frequency (50-60hz) is available on ebay. Cannibalize a Niagara massager and sandwich between two sheets of stainless steel.
-
Amedei do a few of their chocolates in 5kg boxes (5 x 1kg bars). Chuao is one such. Certainly it is expensive. Purchased as a couverture, it is about twice the price of Valrhona, four times the price of Callebaut.
As an aside: Unlike Domori, I'm fairly sure that Amedei does not changes its formulation between chocolate bars (say 100g) and couverture (say 1kg).
-
Without a doubt Amedei's Chuao is the best chocolate I have ever tasted. Eight of us blind tasted thirteen exceptional chocolates. All of us chose Chuao not just as our favourite, but as a clear favourite.
Okay, it doesn't have the texture of Valrhona, nor Valrhona's consistency batch to batch, but its flavour ... Mmmm ... Its flavour demonstrates the distinctiveness of single estates (such as those from Domori and Michel Cluizel) with the complexity of a country blend (such as the grand cru chocolat from Valrhona).
Now the difficult part, to make the best better, ie to make an outstanding confection with Chuao as it main ingredient. Has anybody made any confections with Amedei's Chuao?
My first attempts with various ganache formulations have been disappointing - the ganache loses much of the chocolate's distinction. In fact it loses it all, but over a few days the ganache opens up and much of the flavour returns. But I have yet to make the best better!
-
Adding invertase to your ganache will not make your ganache noticeably sweeter than the ganache with no invertase (and no invert sugar). One molecule of glucose plus one molecule of fructose is meant to be about 120% of the sweetness of the one molecule of sucrose from which they were created.
However invert sugar, which is basically what you are creating, does taste slightly different - to me my ganache has a noticeable taste of glucose.
I much prefer adding invertase to adding additional (invert) sugar.
The invertase itself has no taste. It is also not classed as a preservative. Indeed, if you were to use imobilised invertase to invert the sucrose within your chocolate first, then invertase would not be an ingredient in your final product and should not be listed.
-
I am experimented with invertase. Firstly by adding it to the ganache as mentioned above, and secondly by adding it to the chocolate first before making the ganache. Let me explain ...
Melt chocolate to as close to 60 degrees Celsius as your chocolate will allow and hold at this temperature. (As mentioned 60 degrees is the optimum temperature for the action of invertase).
Prepare 5% water for the sucrose at the same temperature as the chocolate (important). (Invertase requires water to split sucrose into glucose and fructose, about 5% weight to sucrose by mass - I have tried adding more water, but 5% works best).
To the water add some invertase (how much depends on the strength of the invertase preparation you are using - mine is 2,400 standard units - 1 SU will invert 1 mg of sucrose in 5 minutes at 20°C and pH 4.7). I add 1g invertase to each kg of couverture. All the sucrose will be inverted in between 9 and 13 hours depending on the quantity of sucrose in the couverture (assuming between 64% to 75% cocoa).
As I said, I am experimenting, so have yet to do controlled comparison over time between a ganache without invertase, a ganache with invetase, and a ganache made from chocolate inverted by invertase.
-
I use a 4ft x 4ft granite slab to temper chocolate. It works perfectly. Although it does not cool quite as effectively as marble, nor does it chip or scratch as easily.
Note not all granites (nor marbles) are the same. Whichever, choose a relatively hard one that does not chip.
-
I second that. I started by selling direct to the consumer in whatever way I could, excepting that I did not have a shop. Lost shed loads of money, but learnt so very much.
One third of my business is still direct to the consumer. Not the more profitable, but certainly the more valuable.
-
Alanamoana, great idea. I have neither the space nor the money to invest in an enrober at the moment, so necessity is being the mother of invention.
My set up is similar to a Heath Robinson invention
Allow me a couple of weeks and I'll share my latest version. It's going to a local stainless steel fabricator next week.
-
Kerry is absolutely right - it is much easier to lower your price than raise it - start HIGH and come down if necessary.
Secondly, if this is to be your livelihood, then it’s got to pay - at least eventually - price such that future anticipated volumes will pay ALL the bills (chocolate, post-its, electricity, capital depreciation, capital investment, and repaying your first three years effort which went unpaid!), AS WELL AS pay yourself (at last) AND provide an additional profit margin - you are taking a risk, may well lose a lot of money, and must factor in an additional return for this risk.
Thirdly, FOCUS, FOCUS, FOCUS. You are not going to compete with Hershey, nor with Godiva, so even if you were not the perfectionist that I am sure you are, you are only left with the top end of market. Not only should you chocolates look delicious, they should be beautifully packaged (Michael's point exemplified by his beautiful packaging). They should also sound different/enticing/unusual. For me and my market (at least at the moment) that has been losing the familiar (raspberry, lemon, rum & raisin, cognac, ...) and offering the unusual (lavender, chile, verbena, Darjeeling tea, ...).
Fourthly, as Kerry alluded to, there are little to no economies of scale as an artisan chocolatier. This has one great advantage. It allows you to keep costs very low and spend a year or two refining your processes, keeping all receipts (even those post-its), and acquiring suppliers as close to the point of production as possible. Become El Rey's (or whoever's) smallest customer rather than buying through a distributor if at all possible. During this time you will lose money on every chocolate you sell. Once your processes, product and pricing are right you will be making money on each chocolate. Now is the time to grow, ie grow profits not loses!
An example
I know a small scale chocolatier (shall not say who!) whose pricing deliberations look something like this:
Q: With whom would I like my chocolates to be compared?
A: La Maison du Chocolat (£59.90 for 570g); L'artisan du Chocolat (£18.50 for 250g); ...
Q: Who are my customers?
A: Delicatessens, chocolate shops (typical sector mark-up 35% to 50%, net of sales tax).
Q: Given my distribution channel and chosen points of sale can I sell my chocolates at the same price as those sold through chocolatiers' own London Boutiques?
A: No, the shopping experience is not as 'exclusively chocolate'. Discount achievable price by 20%.
Q: What then are my retail and wholesale prices?
A: Wholesale (£9.80 for 260g); Retail (16.50 for 260g = £9.80 wholesale price plus £4.24 mark-up at 45% plus £2.46 sales tax/VAT at 17.5%).
Q: What are my marginal/variable costs of producing a 260g box of chocolates (my selling unit)?
A: Food ingredients £1.86; plus packaging £1.89; plus delivery to customer £1.25; plus labour £3.11 = £8.11.
Q: What are my fixed costs?
A: Premises £330 pcm; plus £120 pcm capital allowance; plus marketing £270 pcm = £720 pcm.
Q: How many 260g boxes of chocolates must I sell to break-even?
A: 720/(9.80-8.11) = 426 boxes.
Q: If I must make 426 boxes in an average week to break even, how many must I make in each of the weeks running up to Christmas
A: 4000 to 5000.
Q: Can I make 4000 boxes in a week, using my current equipment and processes?
A: No.
Q: Am I yet profitable?
A: No.
-
I use this chocolate melter
which is available for Euro 582.54 from Chocolate World.
It is basically a hot air bain marie with a standard 150mm deep gastronorm dish that holds 21kg (actually more like 15kg). Provided that you keep at least 6kg in the bottom it holds chocolate at a constant temperature for many hours.
Chocolate will thicken if it is not worked (or stirred). It will also thicken if it is stirred! Agitation encourages crystal formation.
Additionally, chocolate absorbs moisture from the air and thus thickens over time. The lower the humidity in your chocolate room the better.
I used to find that to be able to work with the same chocolate for six hours plus I need to either add untempered chocolate (preferably at 31 degrees celsius) from time to time, and/or also to increase the working temperature over time from an initial 31 degrees up to a maximum of 34.5 degrees. Incemements of half a degree are usually enough.
I have now found a useful trick that has almost negated these adjustments. I sandwich a heat pad between two thin stainless steel sheets and clamp these beside the chocolate melting/holding tank at a slight decline so that their lowest edge is just over the side of the chocolate tank. I use the heated sheet to wipe excess chocolate off my dipping fork (instead of using the side of the tank/bowl). The advantage of these heated sheets is that they collect and warm up (to about 36 degrees celsius) just enough chocolate to roll back into your tank to compensate for the increased crystalisation caused by the working of the chocolate.
The very latest refinement has been to use a VIBRATING heat pad. Now I no longer add additional cocoa butter to my couverture to achieve a really thin coating. Saving some money.
-
You can make a champagne truffle in three ways.
1) Most traditionally, by using champagne cognac.
2) As Kelly suggests, by using Marc de Champagne.
3) Use real champagne, which you have first reduced to one sixth of its original volume.
In each case use the same volume of liquid. A traditionally truffle recipe combines 8 parts chocolate, 4 parts cream, 2 parts butter, 2 parts alcohol. However, the actual quantities is very dependant on the chocolate that you choose.
In my experience, using real champagne has lots of cache, but is rarely worth the vast cost - one bottle of champange will make two pounds of champagne truffles!!
-
I couldn't get your link to work, but I guess from the ingredients that the technique for your caramels is something like ...
Combine the sugar, light corn syrup, whole milk, sweetened condensed milk, and butter in a heavy saucepan. Place over a high heat and stir continuously, keeping the sides of the pan clean.
Heat the mixture up to 120C/250F, ie until the caramel reaches a light golden colour.
Now add the whipping cream. Take care when adding the cream, as the caramel may spit. Remove the pan from the heat and stir. Leave to set.
If so, then your suggested approach is one I have used successfully. Though I'd be as curious as you to know of other approaches.
-
My kitchen is in Graffham, near Petworth. I sell online and through delicatessens and chocolate shops. I guess the nearest shop to you at present is the Cheesebox, Haslemere.
-
The other negative I have found about hot weather - customers lose their apetite for chocolate.
-
I too make a range of chocolates in the UK from just Valrhona and Amedei couvertures. Paul is cheaper than me, for £4.50 I'd only sell you 70g of unwrapped chocolates, not 100g.
Given that Amedei's Chuao costs just over £20 per kg (including delivery) selling chocolates based on this for £45 per kilo is an act of charity.
-
I currently use Valrhona's 4 dark grand cru chocolates (Araguana, Guanaja, Caraibe, Manjari). These are splendid, of all the chocolates I have tried Valrhona create the chocolates with the best mouth feel.
These mostly country specific blends of 'flavour' cocoas provide the complexity of a blended chocolate, whilst retaining the distinctive character of a single origin / varietal chocolate.
Contrast these with say the highly acclaimed estate chocolates of Domori. These are a fantastic experience to try, but are way short of Valrhona in mouth feel, and too distinct, even wacky, in their flavour to easily use in confectionery. IMHO
A clear exception to this view point is chocolate form the Chuao plantation in Venezuela, now made by Amedei, which I am happy to agree is THE BEST chocolate in the world. A bit of a tough challenge to take such a fine (and expensive ) ingredient and make something even better. Something I am in the process of trying - maybe a cause that requires a separate post?
I find Callebaut and Belcolade dull.
Bonnat and Michel Cluizel have to be on anybodies try list. Valrhona's single estate chocolates have just been launched in 1kg blocks (18kg box) so are now there to be played with.
I am not so familair with US chocolates, but am about to try El Rey. Most interest in other views expressed here.
-
I let my sheets of ganache rest for 24 hours 17 degrees Celsius (62F), and again allow my enrobed chocolates to set up at this temperature. However, my enrobing room temperature is 22 degrees Celsius (71F). This is also the temperature to which I allow my cut gananche centres to reach before enrobing. Finished chocolates left open at 17 degrees Celsius (62F) rarely go mouldy, but at 22 degrees Celsius (71F) mine certainly do. At 30 degrees Celsius (87f) those bacteria are just going to have a picnic!
-
I make a basil ganache often. If making 650g of ganache, I would infuse 15g of basil in the boiled cream for 5 minutes. This produces a subtle infusion (European style). Try 18g for a stronger infusion (US style).
Don't squeeze. As for chopping the basil I cut mine with scissors, but to be honest have never compared chopped to unchopped - must do so.
-
The speed with which fresh cream ganache chocolates go off is a function of water activity, hygiene, temperature, ph and exposure to air.
1) The less water content, ie cream to chocolate ratio, the lower the water activity
2) The more sugar, especially invert sugars, the more moisture is bound and the lower the water activity
3) Preservatives such as sorbitol are even better at binding free water than sucrose, fructose or glucose
4) The more hygienic the preparation and storage, the less chance of introducing new bacteria
5) The lower the temperature of storage the less slowly bacteria will grow
6) The lower the ph (the higher the acidity) the slowly bacteria will grow
7) Most bacteria requires air to reproduce - make sure that little air is introduced into your ganache when mixing and store the finished chocolates in an air tight box with as little air as possible around the chocolates
8) The chocolate shell / enrobing is porous, the thicker it is the slower the absorption of air
The best way to preserve fresh cream ganache chocolates (for up to four weeks) is to
i) use a hign ratio of chocolate to cream
ii) include about 10% invert sugar
iii) consider adding 1% sorbitol
iv) clean everything with antibacteria solution just before use
v) store your chocolates close to 10 degrees Celsius (much lower, ie in a fridge and you risk your chocolates reaching their dew point)
vi) where your recipe allows have a low ph, eg fruit inclusions (also some herbs, such as rosemary have good natural preservative effects)vii) store your chocolates in an airtight cardboard box such that the chocolates fill the box, leaving little room for excess air
viii) moulded chocolates tend to have a thicker shell than dipped/enrobed chocolates and therefore offer greater protection from 'breathing'.
Pay special attention to iv), v) and vii) as these will not affect the taste of your chocolates, all other measures do.
Alternatively invite as many of your chocolate-loving friends as possible.
who is your favorite chocolatier?
in Pastry & Baking
Posted
La Maison du Chocolat are a bench mark against which to compare all others.
In England, Gerald Coleman of L'Artisan du Chocolat can beat Robert Linx at his own game. However, to be back-handed with my compliment, I'd add, "only on a good day!" Too often L'Artisan's chocolates seem stale.
From across the water (the little strip that separates England from the rest of Europe, not the bigger pond between us and the US), but also available across the pond, I find Pierre Marcolini intriguing, top draw, but too sweet for my taste. Richart's chocolates are beautifully presented, are again top draw, but fall short of LMduC.