gap

Yep, I'd also go for a dark chocolate with a wine.

I don't have enough experience or knowledge to be sure that I understand what you mean. Is it the working of the chocolate which makes it become overcrystallized? I will look in the Wybauw which I have on ILL right now and see if I can find out there. ...... Just read through his section of over-crystallization and must admit frankly that I don't understand it. ........I'll simply try your method and go from there. Thanks for trying. ← Darienne - the three factors in producing temper are time, temperature and agitation. Agitation of the chocolate causes the overcrystallization. I've probably done this almost every time I've put a foot on the bottom of a ganche, without realizing it. I always use an offset spatula and in my attempts to get a thin foot, usually get the pasty looking foot. ← Hi Kerry - you probably have over-crystallised each time like you said. When you have a thin layer of chocolate, it doesn't take much working with your off-set spatula (ie., agitation) to over-crystallise it. Edited to add: I've always been told to pre-bottom with dark chocolate for this reason - its easier to over-crystallise it

When you are pre-coating the bottom of your ganache slab, you can also "over-crystallise" the chocolate by spreading it thin with an offset spatula and then working it from side to side until it becomes "pasty" looking rather than "shiny" looking. At this point, the chocolate is over-crystallised and will not snap when you cut through it.

That was just white chocolate left with roasted coffee beans in it for several hours (left in a warming cupboard but you could use a very low oven as well - somewhere around 45 degrees). Strain out the coffee beans and temper the chocolate on marble. Then flattened between acetate. Great for after dinner.

The ones I've done shiny on both sides I've broken into irregular chocolate shards - I usually infuse with a flavour and serve as an after-dinner chocolate with coffee. Something like this: If you wanted a perfect rectangular shape, you would need to score/cut when partially set. I have done this as well, but I think when you put your top acetate sheet on, it wont allow that side of the chocolate to go shiny (I think the chocolate actually needs to fully set on the acetate to go shiny). Also, you don't need to put in a sheet pan because you can just cut a straight edge to your flat chocolate (when partially set) and re-use scraps. Edited to add image (hopefully)

I think hydrometers measure baume and refractometers measure brix - but like John said you can get a pretty quick indication with the conversion rule (otherwise there are more precide conversion tables in a lot of chocolate/confectionary books)

I've done something similar before. Like you said, chocolate on acetate, another acetate sheet on top and then use your chocolate scraper to spread the chocolate between the two sheets nice and thinly. Put a baking sheet or two on top to weigh it down and keep it flat as it contracts. I haven't seen it done with nuts before - usually with these wafers you want them as thin and shiny as possible and having nuts in them doesn't work so well. Another alternative may be to use a tasting block mould (those thin 5g flat block moulds) which you could fill with chocolate and then press some sliced almonds into the back of . . . . just a thought

I notice you are in Victoria. You can buy invert sugar from Savour Chocolate & Patisserie School in Melbourne (as well as other chocolate supplies) if that's local for you.

I've made the Grewelling marshmallows often (its the primary marshmallow recipe I use) and haven't had any problems. I do use invert sugar though (although sometimes I sub out half the invert sugar for extra honey)

And it tends to stay crispy once in a centre (rather than go soggy)

I've seen Heston Blumenthal create a panning machine by attaching a good sized coffee tin to the head of a cordless drill, tipping it up on a 45 degree angle (resting it on books I think) and then taping the drill trigger down. Maybe you could give that a go???

Hi BritoJ. There are a few possible reasons that this could occur. The first is to check that everything was in temper to start with. You do need to warm the coloured cocoa butter to approx 33-34 degrees before applying it. Also, as you mentioned, your chocolate should be in temper when making the shells. If all this is done correctly, then before filling the cavities, you should be able to remove the chocolate shells by hand from the mould - they should just slide out. If they can't do that then something wasn't in temper. If they release easily, you can put them back in the mould and insert your filling. The trick here is to make sure the filling isn't too warm or else it will take the chocolate shells out of temper. Then just back them off and away you go. Hopefully that will give you a few areas to check first Cheers

I've had this happen before. If you blitz it with a hand blender while stirring it can come back together. Otherwise you can sift it with a very fine sieve (I haven't actually done the second option myself but I have heard of it being done before)

Good question. I seem to remember that gelatin will keep absorbing water past the optimal point. I've been told that the soaked gelatin should be ablout 6-7 times the weight of the unsoaked gelatin. Maybe if you leave it too long it absorbs too much water??? I'm just guessing though.

Then who is using anhydrous butter in their ganaches and is this something one might aim for? ← The anhydrous butter is used because it has a much lower water content than traditional butter which means you introduce less water to your ganache (but the same milk/butter fat). Less water helps prolong shelf life.

Just thought I should clarify that I am talking about Lindt couverture, not the Lindt chocolate bars

I take my PDF to 106-107. I also keep a plate in the fridge and take it out while cooking the PDF. When I take the PDF off the heat (just before adding tartaric acid), a put a small blog on the cold plate and check it sets up and doesn't spread. Then add the tartaric acid if its OK, otherwise return to the heat for a while.

I've used the Lindt quite a lot (previously) without any issues.

Thanks for that - I had seen the On Baking book as well but was thought I probably had enough to choose from without throwing another into the mix

Thanks alanamoana. I've already ordered the 'Frozen Desserts' CIA book (I think I read your recommendation on that somewhere else on the forum as well) and am trying not to think about it while I wait on the long lead-time for it to arrive here in Australia. Gisslen might be a good place for me to start - I always like to have a good handle on the basics. Then maybe Suas after that. Does anyone have any thoguhts on the Gisslen v Baking & Patry (CIA) books? They both look like they're aimed at students (which I think would be good for me to start with) - has anyone studied from them?

From my experience its all a matter of temper - not just having the chocolate in good temper when it goes into the mould but also allowing the mould to cool properly so that it stays in temper. I use the method Anna N described above of twisting the mould. Occassionaly one or two will stick and they need a gentle tap of the corner of the mould to release.

Hi, I'm a very enthusiastic amateur in pastry. I've done a lot of chocolate/ice-cream work and am slowly working into other areas such as macaroons, tarts and entremets. I attend a pastry school in my local area when time/money allow. I was wondering what the professionals out there thought were the best Pastry/Baking books going around that were all encompassing - ie., have a good explanation of theory and technique and also a lot of different/varied recipes to try. I have the CIA/Peter Grewelling Chocolates and Confections book and love this from a chocolate perspective - lots on information, lots of explanation on ingredients, theory and techniques as well as the recipes and photos (which always help). Looking through my local chefs cookbook store, there are some names which do seem to appear often, such as: - The Professional Pastry Chef/The Advanced Professional Pastry Chef (Bo Friberg) - Baking & Pastry: Mastering the Art & Craft (CIA) - Advanced Bread and Pastry (Michel Suas) - Professional Baking (Wayne Gisslen - LCB) What do you think of these books? Are there better ones out there? What is your standout pastry/baking book? Thanks for any thoughts

If you're using a dark chocolate, its always best to combine with the cream using an immersion blender (a hand blender) or in a food processor. The higher cocoa % in a dark chocolate makes the ganache more likely to split so using a handheld blender (or food processor for a large batch) will help the emulsion.

Just trying to think "out of the box" here: it doesn't sound like these are "impulse" buys but rather people who know they want chocolates for a reason (dinner party, special occassion, gift etc). Maybe you could only have an open "store" one or two days a week when orders can be placed and then the people come back in two days to pick up their orders? Doing something along those lines would allow you to control the workflow to some degree at least. But maybe that doesn't help of people want to come in and then take their chocolate away with them???

OK, I'm convinced (not that it takes much convincing for me to buy a new book) and I've ordered Frozen Desserts from Amazon