RuthWells

That's a great question. The outer finish is the same on both pans - and they are both Nordicware. Which is why I suspect the inner finish as the culprit. I'm just wondering if there is any way to get a darker crust with the lighter-interior pain, as I have several of them. (I have a bit of a Bundt pan addiction!)

I made my favorite pound cake (Bishop's Cake from Silver Palate) this weekend and baked some of the batter in a silver-lined mini-Bundt pan and some in a black-lined mini-Bundt. The crust on the former was disappointing - pale and un-crusty. The reason was obvious in retrospect. My question is, is there any way to get a decent crust on a Bundt pan with a silver interior? You can see the difference in the pic.

Cool! Do you use a mold to get that effect?

This is brilliant, and I for one would love to see a video!

Thank you, Jim! I used 3 colored cocoa butters from Chef Rubber's jewel collection -- gold, yellow topaz, and purple amethyst. Gold spatter first, using a toothbrush and a gloved finger. Purple next, swirling with a gloved finger. Yellow last, a few drops in each cavity, then blown with a compressed air canister.

I'm kind of pleased with these.

Lovely, thank you all!

The Meyer lemon tree I bought last spring finally has ripe fruit!! I'm all a-buzz and excited to make some curd, at a minimum, but what else? Any (non-savory) ideas appreciated, as well as suggestions of how to adjust sweetening for Meyer lemons in recipes calling for regular lemons.

I have friends with kids in town visiting. Can anyone recommend a good spot in Chinatown for dinner with a family that includes a 2-year-old?

Egg yolks are significantly smaller than they used to be. I'd add another yolk and see if that helps.

Stunning. How do you find the shelf-life of the mousse-filled bonbons?

Ruth, those marble effects are stunning! I'm thinking white chocolate layered with white chocolate that has been tinted with candy colors. What method did you use for the layering?

I have drawn endless inspiration from the wonderful work on this thread. While I'm nowhere near the caliber of you folks, I am starting to get some effects that please me. Here's my latest (forgive hastily snapped pic while on my way out the door this morning).

PastryGirl, that is INCREDIBLY generous of you. We're test-marketing at my local coffee shop and I was prepared to buy 25 or so to get started, but if you can spare even a few, that would be such a boon. Hopefully things will go well enough to justify a $50 minimum order soon!

Oh my goodness, ChocoMom, I'm so sorry to hear about your fire. How devastating. I hope there were no injuries. I love that box from Nashville Wraps, but with shipping it's over $1.60 per piece, and I'm not doing the kind of volume that would justify a $300+ order, unfortunately. Sweet Packaging certainly has some reasonable options, thanks for that tip!!

You guys are the best! I had completely forgotten about Glerup/Revere, PastryGirl, I'm gonna have fun looking through their options. I definitely want clear boxes; Kerry, here are the two options I was looking at: http://www.nashvillewraps.com/candy-boxes/clear-truffle-boxes/sku-fc23abr.html http://www.boxandwrap.com/candy-boxes-gold-artisan.html Jim, I have purchased my other (larger) packaging at Papermart and I generally like them a lot. I just wish they had a 2-truffle version of their PET box with the gold bottom; that would be perfect. And thanks for the tip on availability. I'm really just a hobbyist who is selling a little on the side at this point and trying to keep my price point low, so not (yet) splurging on the gorgeous boxes.... Edited: Oh dear, Glerup has a $50 minimum and is on the opposite coast from me. Curses!!!

I know this question gets asked frequently, and I've done my research, but I can't believe that I can't find a less expensive option for packaging to hold 2 truffle-sized bonbons. The two options I liked (from Nashville Wraps and BoxandWrap) come to over $1.60 each when factoring in shipping. There is no way to price them at that cost. Am I missing some options out there?

thanks so much, that's my current favorite as well. Spattered, then brushed gold luster dust on the entire surface of the mold, then backed with milk chocolate. The milk chocolate really makes the gold stand out.

Half-sheet size is great for home bakers (like me) and I think tan/neutral colors are best -- so as not to distort the color of the product and hence misinterpret level of done-ness. Trimmed-out corners are also a great feature as it makes removing the product from the pan easier.

I'm much too shy to post any of my work in the chocolate threads, but here are a few samples of stuff I've been doing recently, if anyone is interested. I'm getting better, but have a way to go!

I also would love to know how you got the marbled effect! Stunning work.

Thank you all so much for sharing your experiences and methods - I feel much better now!

Thanks, Ruth. Do you worry about headroom and condensation with the Snapware?

Thanks, PastryGirl! Great suggestions. How crucial is it to cool in the fridge prior to freezing?

I know the gold standard for storing molded chocolate bon bons is to vacuum-pack lightly, then freeze. Any suggestions for an overly-enthusiastic home chocolatier with an abundance of inventory and no vacuum sealer? My local coffe shop is selling my wares, but not as quickly as I've been producing them!