John DePaula

After going through all the sources I have available, it appears that to make the right crystalline structure you need 50 grams of sugar for each 1 degree of proof. So if your liquor is 50 proof, for 1 litre you would take 50 x 50g = 2500 g sugar, add half as much water 1250 g. If the liquor is 40 proof you add 40 x 50 = 2000 g sugar, 1000 grams water. Then boil to 116 C. ← Ok, so if I have an 18 proof alcohol then I would use the following quantities: 1000g 18 proof alcohol 50 x 18 = 900g Sugar 0.5 x 900g = 450g H2O Do I have that right? ← Yup, that would be right. So let us know how it turns out. I was visiting this morning in Mississauga with a customer of mine who was down visiting from Thunder Bay. She made liquor chocolates, and had real difficulty with the starch molding. So she piped the liquid into shells and put a drop of melted cocoa butter on the top - it spread out like gasoline on water - and she was able to back them off with no liquid loss. Apparently she learned the trick on eG. I recall the discussion and I'm sure it was Elaine Gonzales (chocartist) that suggested this technique. ← Ok so the nicest way to put it is that I totally botched this... 18% .IsNotEqual. 18º Don't know what I was thinking but I saw 18% on the bottle and was thinking 18 Proof. Oh well.... Needless to say, it didn't crystallize at all. I was sort of able to seal them but it was a real mess. And I doubt the seal will hold. ← Just a quick update... Even though I flubbed this one, they were a big hit at the Sake Tasting party. I loved the fact that they were not too sweet. I used a Momokawa Nigori Genshu sake with 70% dark chocolate for the shell.

I haven't really browsed YouTube extensively, but it sounds like a great idea for eGulleters who do to post their favorites here.

What about vanilla beans with a Belgian kriek. You could make a chocolate ganache frosting using the kriek and have a white layer cake with the vanilla beans.

New book out now that some have recommended: The Patisseries of Paris: Chocolatiers, Tea Salons, Ice Cream Parlors, and more.

← Hey, I love your site! I made your recipe for Shrimp Remoulade for a Thanksgiving fête last year and WOW it was certainly a big hit; folks loved it! Next up: that Shrimp Creole is sure lookin' good!

Yeah, those look beautiful Emma. You might consider the following workflow: Day 1: Make shells Day 2: Make ganaches and fill shells Day 3: Back off the filled shells Of course, you could do all of these steps in one day but it would be a LONG day... I'm eager to try that recipe with lime juice...

Not sure if this helps, but I think I've heard people say they go to something called a "metal supermarket" to get things like this made to order for not a lot of money.

So, would you recommend modifying the recipes to get a thinner ganache? ← Depends on a couple of things: 1) How many are you making and 2) how thick the ganache is at ~84F. I have some fillings that are pretty stiff at 84F. When I pipe them in, I know that I'll have to go back and flatten each one individually to allow me to get a good back on the bonbon. If I have to do this, I place a piece of plastic wrap over the top of the tray and press in the top of each one by hand. Very clean, but obviously not as fast as just piping in a filling that immediately goes flat.

Or you could just use the recipes as it and while they are still soft, pipe them into the hollow shell truffles. No rule says the fillings in hollow shells have to be more fluid. The advantage to them that I see is that you can use a filling you make that is too soft for truffles. Edit: Oops, didn't realize Tammy had already posted and said just about the same thing! ← That's true but I would just add that it's so much easier to fill your shells if the ganache is still at least semi-liquid when you pipe it into the shells. The thicker the ganache, the more time you'll have to spend filling the shells. Can be done, just not fun.

This made for a very clean and refreshing sorbet.

After going through all the sources I have available, it appears that to make the right crystalline structure you need 50 grams of sugar for each 1 degree of proof. So if your liquor is 50 proof, for 1 litre you would take 50 x 50g = 2500 g sugar, add half as much water 1250 g. If the liquor is 40 proof you add 40 x 50 = 2000 g sugar, 1000 grams water. Then boil to 116 C. ← Ok, so if I have an 18 proof alcohol then I would use the following quantities: 1000g 18 proof alcohol 50 x 18 = 900g Sugar 0.5 x 900g = 450g H2O Do I have that right? ← Yup, that would be right. So let us know how it turns out. I was visiting this morning in Mississauga with a customer of mine who was down visiting from Thunder Bay. She made liquor chocolates, and had real difficulty with the starch molding. So she piped the liquid into shells and put a drop of melted cocoa butter on the top - it spread out like gasoline on water - and she was able to back them off with no liquid loss. Apparently she learned the trick on eG. I recall the discussion and I'm sure it was Elaine Gonzales (chocartist) that suggested this technique. ← Ok so the nicest way to put it is that I totally botched this... 18% .IsNotEqual. 18º Don't know what I was thinking but I saw 18% on the bottle and was thinking 18 Proof. Oh well.... Needless to say, it didn't crystallize at all. I was sort of able to seal them but it was a real mess. And I doubt the seal will hold.

That is brilliant! So simple, so elegant. Thanks, Kerry.

After going through all the sources I have available, it appears that to make the right crystalline structure you need 50 grams of sugar for each 1 degree of proof. So if your liquor is 50 proof, for 1 litre you would take 50 x 50g = 2500 g sugar, add half as much water 1250 g. If the liquor is 40 proof you add 40 x 50 = 2000 g sugar, 1000 grams water. Then boil to 116 C. ← Ok, so if I have an 18 proof alcohol then I would use the following quantities: 1000g 18 proof alcohol 50 x 18 = 900g Sugar 0.5 x 900g = 450g H2O Do I have that right?

If this helps, I google-cached it:

I suppose the answer would be sorbet made from rice milk, but I want to make the rice milk myself rather than use the awful tasting stuff from a box.

I'm not sure how you got that to show up... I was able to get to the recipe for Rice Ice Cream on the following page, but it wouldn't allow me to view the recipe for Sorbet... Anyway, I've tried to view it in a couple of browsers and the recipe has big chunks missing - as if it was a bad scan. Still, it's enough to go on. Thanks!

Hello All, Does anyone have a recipe for Rice Sorbet? I'm going to a Sake Tasting party soon and want to bring something unusual to complement the sweeter ones. Usually, I'm pretty good about finding recipes online but this one was eluded me. Thanks! P.S. Not looking for Rice Gelato or Rice Ice Cream.

Thanks, Tammy!

John, I saw that upthread – I thought it was a great idea! Unfortunately it's rainy and cold in Vancouver right now. I'm going to wait for nicer weather to have an ice cream party. In the meantime, the ice cream is mine... all mine! ←

WOW!

So I was just logging on to post a similar question... I assume that if you add caramelized cocoa nibs to a cream or butter ganache, they'd eventually get soft and mealy. ETA: Is this correct? Do you think that coating them in cocoa butter or dark chocolate would prevent this? Thanks.

Emma, I like to make lots of flavors but don't necessarily want to eat all that ice cream. So one Sunday, I threw together a few toppings and called up some friends: Instant Old Fashioned Ice Cream Social. Very big hit!

Thank you, Alisuchi! I've actually been wondering what would be the best way to lighten some of these - I'll make a note and give this a try next time I do the Philly.

Thank you very much for this explanation; very helpful!

I wonder if those freeze dried strawberries, put through a spice grinder, would help? Possibly a strawberry flavored oil or essence, though I don't know of any right off hand.