Kerry Beal

So best of both worlds - why don't you do the strawberry PDF (or seedless strawberry jam) backed with Greweling's butter ganache.

And a butter ganache would have more than a 2 weeks shelf life so you're golden on that!

Lightly used first generation EZtemper for sale in Canada - PM me for contact information if you are interested. She hopes to get $800 plus the cost of shipping.

Tell me what you are picturing - dark chocolate with strawberry - white chocolate - a strawberry buttercream with minimal to no chocolate in it?

I grew up with one of those. I'm sure I got one at a thrift store a few years back - gotta be around here somewhere!

I made a mix of guar and xantham the other day - used 5 grams - then 3 grams of that mixture which was a miscalculation and should have been 0.3 grams. So about 1000 years!

Me alleguede RobertM Chocolot Sue PEI and sister Jane Diana D curls Dallas VistaGardens Eat.Choui

We can arrange a small panner for sure - I made a bunch a few years back that are quite nice to put on the front of the kitchen aid.

That seems to be the big draw.

We've got a couple of the Firemixer 14's - maybe you could teach big batch caramel!

Me alleguede RobertM Chocolot Sue PEI and sister Jane Diana D curls Dallas

Me alleguede RobertM Chocolot

Well - after finally pinning down our location for this year we have settled on a weekend for this year's workshop to be held in Toronto. Looking at May 17, 18 and 19 which is the Victoria day long weekend in Canada - so hopefully that won't interfere or put up the cost of hotels. It will mean a lot of traffic driving across the top of the city on their way north to their cottages. We will be holding this year's workshop at the Cake Collective - a rental commercial kitchen owned by two sisters who are friends of @Alleguede's who have agreed to host us. It is close to the Toronto airport (it's actually in Mississauga). Lots of details to hammer out - but having a date is a start! This will be the first year I don't have Anna to help keep me organized so it might be a bit more of a dog's breakfast than usual - so you'll have to bear with me. Once we get a better idea of costs for the rental, and flesh out the food and supplies we are going to need - we will set a price. Think experience has taught me that a set price will probably make the most sense as I just read back through last years planning thread! Thoughts on Master's classes for Friday am and afternoon? Shall we teach them ourselves or struggle to find someone (who if experience has taught me anything - will cancel part way through).

We will be doing the eG workshop at some point in May in Toronto (still trying to confirm the date) - pretty sure we can have a Fuji, a Grex and perhaps a few other options for you to play with. Was going to suggest Denman Island chocolate but I don't see colour on their pieces these days. Rachel - used to be head chocolatier at Purdy's - got them a Fuji. She's not working for them anymore and might be reopening Chocolate Nymph in Vancouver - you could track her down and see what she has around to show you.

@Dark side - where do you live? Perhaps visit someone and play with the equipment - it's a great way to get over that initial inertia and get yourself started.

And it doesn't help when you have metric and imperial to deal with.

Discussion on wire starts - here

Can’t do caramel I know - can you link me the Kriss’s post?

Actually bottom is usually bottom - you put a top chablon on when you are using a soft ganache that is likely to deform when you cut it.

If you put a foot top and bottom (foot aka chablon) then the one on the top should still be soft when you cut cause it will crack.

Set up - a thin foot on the bottom doesn't crack typically. The the chablon on the top get's cut when it's still damp if possible to prevent cracking.

Rum definitely! Nice to see you back James.

I have always suspected the the chocolate running behind the coloured cocoa butter is caused by the heating! I've not been happy with the results most times I've done it. And yeah - dates and amarula - sweet! Maybe some lemon?

No reason not to use two different chocolates. I'm not a big fan of the heating thing though.

Rotovap or vacuum microwave? Sorry - being a bit of an ass - but perhaps adding some freeze dried fruit powder to the un-concentrated juice to punch up the flavour? Beautiful looking product by the way!