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gap

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Everything posted by gap

  1. gap
    I've done something similar to this to make a lemon ganache (just this weekend actually). It worked quite well and the recipe I have (from chocolate school) indicates an approx two week shelf life (for this particular recipe) which is on par with the other moulded ganache recipes we were given.
  2. gap
    I have a feeling this has been discussed on the seventypercent website before. I have a feeling there is something different between the European bar and the US bar - but my memory is very fuzzy on the discussion as it was a while ago.
  3. gap
    For making ganache there's not a lot you need - a mixing bowl, a suacepan and a whisk. If you're making dark chocolate ganache, a hand/immersion blender can be handy to stop it splitting (or put it in a food processor if you have one).
  4. gap

    Plain and Perfect

    gap replied to a topic in Pastry & Baking

    Gingerbread men for me
  5. gap
    I would second Peter Greweling's book. Written like a textbook with theory sections (to explain what's going on), techique (so you know what to do and how to do it) and recipes (with great photos which is always a plus for me). JPW book is also great. Try this link for some other books: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=100007
  6. gap
    I've used a guitar to cut a 15mm (sorry, don't know inches) high slab of fairly solid ganache.
  7. gap
    Ok, another thought . . . . I'm at work so I can't check any of my bags of Callebaut, but do they have a fat content on the side? And would that roughly correlate with the % cocoa butter? (I'm assuming the 811 is dark chocolate so no milk fats)
  8. gap
    Silly question but if its 3% less cocoa butter is that 3% of the total mass or 3% of the cocoa butter mass. For example, if you had 1000g of chococlate, is the 3% less cocoa butter just 30g of cocoa butter?
  9. gap
    I think pre-made shells are fine. I seem to remember they're used extensively in Europe (Germany more precisely) and they really do allow for a more consistent final product. There are plenty of ways to finish them as well to add interest to the final product and (as alanamoana mentioned) they allow some "gooier" centres as well.
  10. gap
    Hi LucyInAust, if you check the Theory section on nougat (just before the recipes in that chapter) I seem it talking about soft peaks before adding the sugar syrup(s). Unfortunately I don't have the book on hand to check . . . Also, adding a little sugar when whipping the egg whites can help them maintain some stiffness when the syrup is added.
  11. gap
    Handling nougat out of the Kitchen Aid is easier with a wet scraper and wet fingers - for some reason the nougat doesn't seem to stick then
  12. gap
    Assuming the mould is a reasonable size (ie., big enough to take the transfer) you could always mould your chocolate helmet as normal and then remove from mould when set. Then pipe a bit of chocolate onto the spot where you want your logo and stick the transfer sheet on. Sounds like a long process though because you'd prob have to leave the helmet on its side for a while to let the transfer adhere and then turn it over and do the other side as well.
  13. gap

    Cocoa Nibs

    gap replied to a topic in Pastry & Baking

    Can be good sprinkled on top of chocolate pralines. I've also seen them used in chocolate brownies.
  14. gap
    I just wanted to add my thanks Kerry - I've been following with interest and appreciate learning from your experiences.
  15. gap
    I did a similar thing when a mate and I were driving across Australia. We were working in Mildura in summer where temps get above 40 degrees celcius. We would buy rolls and tinned spaghetti on the way to work (picking egg plants) and park the car in the open sun and leave the rolls and tins in front of the back window. By the time dinner came around, the rolls were slightly toasted and the spaghetti was warm.
  16. gap

    Cocoa Craziness

    gap replied to a topic in Pastry & Baking

    As a general rule, the higher the cocoa butter content in your cocoa powder the better it will taste (aim for 20-24% cocoa butter content)
  17. gap
    Thanks mrose and lapin d'or, I will have to give them another try then.
  18. gap
    OK, I'm back for some more trouble-shooting on the Meltaways. Who would have thought two ingredients could cause me sooo much trouble (about 1.5kg of chocolate has had to be discarded so far!!!) I tried them yesterday and (obviously) they didn't work. I used milk chocolate (Callebaut) and Organic Coconut Oil (Cold Pressed) which is 100% fat and 92% saturated fat. The chocolates set but there was absolutely no "meltaway" at all. Should I be using dark chocolate instead of milk? Is cold pressed coconut oil causing the problem? Any ideas??
  19. gap
    Thanks all for the advice. I stopped by an organic foodstore on the way home last night and they knew exactly what I was after when I asked for coconut oil (which I had just always assumed was a liquid which is why I couldn't find it previously). Hopefully I'll get a chance to try these on the weekend.
  20. gap
    Thanks Trishiad. I notice a few people have mentioned organic food stores. We have one near us at a local market so I might give that a try this weekend.
  21. gap
    Thanks for the help Kerry. My wife gave me some yellow colouring and gold dust on the weekend, so I'm very keen to give it a try this coming weekend. Could be a busy weekend if I want to try both methods of applying the dust and I've also got some truffle shells which need filling.
  22. gap
    Thanks for the info - anything which helps get me closer. I have looked for coconut oil at a few places but didn't realise it was solid at room temp, so that may be why I missed it.
  23. gap
    Thanks Kerry. How would you describe the differences between the two effects (ie., mixed with cocoa butter and dry)?
  24. gap
    Thanks gfron, I'll give that a try. mrose - was the coconut oil solid at room temperature? Also, can you remember what % fat was on the nutritional information panel (the coconut cream I was using was only 70% fat)
  25. gap
    I've read through the thread and apologies if I missed it somewhere earlier, but I had a question on using luster dust. Can I just sprinkle some dust into a mould and then paint some colour over the top? Will the dust still show through or will it get covered/moved by the painted colour?
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