John DePaula

I heard that someone was already working on this... Demo: Basic molded chocolates and slightly beyond She has pix of filling and sealing the bonbons.

I like Penzeys, too. On my list to try: The Spice House Pure Spice Cheers!

Thanks, Dan! The magnets are quite strong. In fact, it can sometimes be a challenge to pry the back from the mold. I've never had any problems with leakage. The structure sheet in the photo was just a handy "ruler." In other words, I just happened to have one of the proper size already cut, so I used it to cut the transfer sheet to an identical size. A structure sheet is an embossed piece of plastic that can impart a texture (or pattern) on top of your chocolate pieces. See the last photo in my demo. Hope this helps.

Thanks for all the appreciative comments! The process of filling the shells is not difficult if you have a very liquid ganache. Some of my ganaches are, some aren't. 1. When your ganache cools to between 80 - 84°F (27-29°C), just pipe it into the shells with a pastry bag being careful to leave between 1/16th and 1/8 inch (~3mm) free space. Obviously, you don't want the ganache to be warm enough to melt your shell. Also, if you don't leave enough space for the backing, the bonbon won't seal properly which will cause it to spoil rapidly. 2. Allow your ganache to set. If your ganache isn't set before you try to seal, you end up dragging part of your filling out of the shell ruining your tempered chocolate. 3. Ladle more tempered chocolate over the top; tap briefly; slowly scrape with your palate knife. See Photos 13, 14, 15 and 17 in the initial post for this thread. 4. Allow your chocolate to set. You're now ready to unmold.

Thanks, Ruth. My pleasure. Yes, I do have some advice. Check out this thread: Tempering chocolate with warm water I'm slightly embarrassed to admit that I still temper chocolate by hand. I have a melter now, actually just bought 2 more, but you can easily temper chocolate with a bain marie setup as described in the post. Good luck, Ruth.

Here you go: DEMO: Transfer Sheets on Chocolate Bonbons, Using Magnetic Chocolate Molds

Demo: How to Use Transfer Sheets (and Structure Sheets) with Magnetic Molds for Making Chocolate Bonbons This thread will demonstrate how to use transfer sheets to decorate chocolate bonbons. Structure sheets, which are plastic sheets embossed with a pattern, can be used in exactly the same way. Let’s begin: 1. Here is a photograph of my workbench. It's important to have all of your tools ready when you work with chocolate because you need to work fast. a) Transfer Sheet; b) Structure Sheet; c) Bowl of seed chocolate; d) Small bowl; e) Scale; f) 2-piece Magnetic chocolate molds; g) Magnetic mold taken apart to show top and bottom pieces; h) Scissors; i) Acrylic paint brush; j) Straight spatulas; k) 7” Wide Spatulas; l) Ladle; m) Chocolate Melter 2. Here's a close up of the magnetic chocolate molds. On the left, two fully assembled molds; on the right, a mold with the back showing. 3. Here is a close up of the transfer sheet we'll be using. On the right is a structure sheet. 4. The first thing we need to do is cut the transfer sheet to fit into our magnetic mold. Here, I'm using a pre-cut structure sheet as a guide for marking my transfer sheet. Obviously it should be marked on the non-cocoa butter side. 5. Cutting the transfer sheet. 6. Positioning the transfer sheet inside the chocolate mold. Here I have the mold upside-down and the transfer sheet is positioned over the cavities with the cocoa-butter side down. 7. Carefully replacing the mold backing. As you can see, we are "sandwiching" the sheet between the two parts of the mold. Be sure that the sheet doesn't slip out of position as you're replacing the back. 8. Fully assembled (upside-down). 9. Fully assembled (right side up). 10. Painting each cavity with tempered chocolate ensures that you won't have bubbles in your finished pieces. You may be able to skip this step if your chocolate is very thin. 11. Once all the cavities have been painted, you can scrape with a chocolate scraper to remove excess chocolate bits from the top of the mold. The scraper should run smoothly across the top. 12. Here is our prepped mold held up to the light. You can see that it doesn't need to be very pretty; you just need to be sure you've gotten into all the corner spaces. 13. Now we can immediately ladle in some tempered chocolate to make a suitable chocolate shell for our bonbons. 14. Spread the chocolate with a palette knife so that each cavity gets its share of chocolate. Work quickly. 15. Tap the side of the mold to help the chocolate settle and to remove bubbles. Here, you're just trying to ensure that no bubbles are clinging to the surface of the mold. 16. Now we need to eliminate excess chocolate in our mold. Just turn the mold over and let the chocolate drain back into the melter. You can tap it on the sides with the palette knife or whack the mold on the edges of your melting pan to encourage the chocolate to depart. 17. Now we scrape with a spatula to clean up our mold. 18. Turn your mold over and allow excess chocolate to drain, if necessary. Check again in a few minutes and scrape with a spatula, as before, to clean the mold. 19. Here we see our chocolate shells, still in the mold, with a nice even coating of chocolate. They are now ready for filling with your favorite ganache and sealing in the usual way with tempered chocolate. Our bonbons: transfer sheet and structure sheet examples

I am not an expert on this issue, Wendy, but I think that caramels often need to be refrigerated before cutting so that they will hold their shape; unless you're making the really hard ones (which I don’t like). There are a few other points that may be important: 1. Length of cooking time. I find that if I'm cooking a small batch of caramels, rather than a large one, I have to use a lower flame. Allowing the caramel to develop slowly seems to affect the end product in texture and quality. 2. Type of pot used. Recchiuti always specifies that you should use an unlined copper kettle if available. I don't have one but that's what we used in France. 3. Temperature and humidity of your kitchen may, of course, be key factors as well. One more thing: before you change your fleur de sel, I'd figure out the firmness problem first. That may solve the sinking salt problem. And didn't Michael say that he likes a bit of crunch from the fleur de sel?

Here are some suggestions, dellis, from my list of favorites. They are all moderate to inexpensive with the last two the least expensive of the lot. Just depends on the kind of place for which you are looking. All of these are not too far from Montparnasse. Enjoy! 1. C'est Mon Plaisir Small, bright, sunny feel, updated cuisine that is not too heavy and not too expensive, and relatively quiet but by no means dead when full. Staff is comfortable with English-speakers -- the Brits somehow got this one on their map, and neighborhood folks love it too. They make a grilled shrimp dish with Colombo d'Epinards that was the best spinich dish I've ever eaten. Reservations recommended. 8 rue Falguière 75015 Metro: Falguiere Tel. 01 42 73 07 02 2. Les Dix Vins Excellent wines & plats. Run by two former software engineers who decided to go to culinary school. More interesting traditional menu than most. Quite good. Reservations recommended. 57 rue Falguière, 75015 Paris Tel: 01 43 20 91 77. Metro: Pasteur Call to check their hours; we think it was not open on Saturdays or Sundays. 3. Le Florimond Older and slightly more upscale, excellent fish and, on our one occasion there, a great example of proper French wait service; may not be the most “fun” place for a 24 year old. 19, Avenue de La Motte-Picquet 75007 Metro: Le Motte-Picquet Grenelle Tel. 01 45 55 40 38 4. Baribal Very traditional, not too dark, very lively and can be rather smoky-- no barrier for nonsmoking section -- neighborhood place with the best Pommes Sarladaise (sliced potatoes fried crisp in duck fat with mushrooms) we had anywhere outside of a private kitchen in Dordogne. Wait staff is overworked, so be patient and, if necessary, politely assertive. 186, Rue Vaugirard 75015 Metro: Volontaires or Pasteur Tel. : +(33) 1 47 34 15 32 5. Le Karibou Excellent African food; very spicy for France; very friendly staff and chef, casual. Must try: Poulet Fume Yassa. 32 boulevard Vaugirard (actually it's in Galerie Vaugirard, just off Blvd. Vaugirard) 75015 Paris 15 Tél : 01 43 20 19 49

Sounds like a fun project. Will have to get back to you in a couple of weeks since my schedule is so hectic right now. Ciao!

I’d like to recommend a chocolateria / desserteria in the Jordaan area just to the NW of town (or just west of the Central Rail Station). It’s called Jordino. Situated on a pleasant shopping street at Haarlemmerdijk 25, it’s well worth the walk from central Amsterdam (about 20-25 minutes on foot, if I remember correctly). I don’t know what they’re called, but the specialty of the shop is a fig stuffed with marzipan, dipped in chocolate and dusted with cocoa powder. It’s excellent! They also have a prune version that’s equally good. It’s in a nice neighborhood and folks are really quite friendly. Have fun and don't be afraid to chat with people in the shops! Jordino Haarlemmerdijk 25 Tel. 020 420 3225

Yes, you're right Wendy; they have great products (their catalog is more like $15, though) but the shipping & taxes are killers!

One way to use transfer sheets is with magnetic chocolate molds. These are 2 piece polycarbonate molds held together with magnets. The molds can be used to sandwich a transfer sheet. When you fill the mold with chocolate, the transfer pattern, well…, transfers to the chocolate. Here’s a link to the Kerekes site that shows how the magnetic molds are used: Transfer Sheet Example Another way to use the transfers is simply to place a thin coating of chocolate on the sheet. Then just before the chocolate sets, you can score the pieces and / or roll the sheet and allow to dry. Voila! Now you have chocolate decorations.

Yes, you can use them to decorate chocolates or to make chocolate decorations for your desserts. Example of Bonbon Decorated with Transfer Sheet I'd be happy to explain in more detail, if you like.

I would love to find a source for Tonka Beans, but are they safe? I thought there was a problem with using them in food. In this article, About Tonka Beans, it seems to indicate that you can't use it in food. Is this accurate?

See this thread on Pastry Flour also.

I just bought some of the Planifolia (Bourbon) beans from Organic Vanilla Bean Co. They arrived quickly and were vacuum-packed (as promised) and plump. Once opened, they had a very strong, heady scent. I used them in a passion-fruit/mango caramel and they completely overwhelmed it. I will have to be more careful to rebalance the recipe for beans of this strength; though I suspect it may be necessary to switch to the Tahitian variety for a more subtle (and pleasing) flavor.

That Denise is quite a character, eh? I spent some time with her last year and she told me that she lost her entire stock of chocolates in 2003 during the canicule ( heat wave ) that struck France. About caramels, I'm not a big fan. BUT, Genin's caramels are I.N.C.R.E.D.I.B.L.E ! Vanilla Caramel - Outstanding; Pistachio Praline - Wow!; Passion-Fruit/Mango - a Revelation! It just doesn't get any better than this. Bravo! ← Omigod, that Passion fruit mango. YES! Orgasmic. Where did you taste it? I spent an hour in Genin's atelier tasting chocolates and, just as I was leaving, he offered me a taste of the caramel after I said I didn't normally like caramels. ← Actually, I did a short chocolate stage (apprenticeship) at his shop in 2003. I can tell you that everything he produces is of the utmost quality and flavor. Something has a tiny imperfection, it's in the trash. Nothing leaves his shop that isn't perfect. And another thing, a pet peeve of mine: his shop is immaculate. I've been in lots of kitchens where hygiene wasn't all that important, but Genin's shop was really spotless. I, myself, am a little bit like Mr. Monk* so when I say that his shop is clean, I mean it's CLEAN! And I think that's a very good thing. P.S. Did you try the chocolate flavored with Tonka beans? On a scale of 1 – 10, it's about a 12! ---- * For our non-American TV audience, Mr. Monk is a character from a cable television show called, not surprisingly, ‘Monk.’ It's about a police detective who is obsessive about cleanliness. It's really a very funny show.

Michael's Craft store has lots of ideas that should suit your needs.

Well, I’ll just jump right in. I don’t know if this is the absolute best way to make grits, but I can tell you that I prefer it to the method printed on the box (at least I think so; it’s been a long time since I looked). They come out very creamy and delicious. This is a very simple & quick “I-just-got-up-and-I-want-my-coffee-with-eggs-bacon-and-grits-now” method. Nothing fancy; just grits! I use a 4:1 ratio of water to grits e.g. 1/4 c. grits to 1 c. water for one serving. I start with fresh cold water and mix in the grits and about 1/2 tablespoon of butter or olive oil. Set over moderate heat, stirring often, just until it begins to boil. Now, turn your heat down to moderately low; stir occasionally, until the desired consistency is reached. No need to cover the pot. That’s about 5 minutes, I think. Add salt and pepper to taste. Some people like to add extra butter in a nice dollop once plated. Bon Appetit!

Oh, what a great topic! Right now I have two that I just love... wait a minute, make that three: 1) Smoky Spanish Paprika - La Dalia - Pimenton de la Vera (Other brands that I've tried were not necessarily as good) 2) Chipotle Yumm! Sauce by Cafe Yumm! 3) Salted Caramel

Wow… That article was really depressing. I don’t know, I don’t know. Maybe I just don’t want to take off my rose colored glasses, but this just doesn’t seem to be the France I experienced. Five years ago, I went to Bordeaux to take a language course. For the first time, I lived with a French family. It was a wonderful experience and everything that you’d expect: elaborately prepared meals, long in duration, where the wine flowed freely as well as the conversation and camaraderie. Many many evenings "à table" in the garden with the fragrance of flowers carried by a gentle breeze. Even if I’ve romanticized it I can tell you that no McDo was in sight, ever. The same was true a few years later when I visited with another family in Dordogne. Each evening was filled with preparing food, eating, talking, friends, & family. If things really are changing, then it’s heartbreaking that these traditions may be disappearing. No. Gimme those rose colored glasses back. I want things to stay just as they were.

Hi Wendy, Yes, Mette's demo that you reference above looks great. See also Chef Wybauw's book Fine Chocolates, Great Experience, Caramel snobinettes, p. 160. I like the technique using balloons but a friend of mine pointed out that some people have an allergy to latex so using the balloons could be a problem.

One of my favorites is from Sautee Cedar . This is an example of "less is more" - the recipe is very easy and really really good. Looks like they have lots of good recipes. Check out their Recipe rubric. Maple Mustard Glazed Salmon 3 Tbsp. Dijon mustard 3 Tbsp. maple syrup 1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar Salt and pepper to taste 4 salmon fillets 1 soaked Sautee Cedar Grilling Plank Combine first four ingredients in a zip plastic bag and add salmon. Marinate for twenty to thirty minutes. Place soaked plank on hot grill and close lid. When plank begins to smoke and crackle place salmon with skin side down directly onto plank. Close lid and cook to desired doneness. Salmon is best served medium rare. Do remember fish will continue to cook after being removed from the grill. Serve straight from the plank to create a unique presentation.