lebowits

I imagine that took a very long time!

Thanks for all the replies. I plan to work on this over next week and will report back.

I'm looking to make a Guiness Stout ganache for filled bon bons. Does anyone have any suggestions for reference formulas? The Guiness web site has a basic 2:1 ganache formula with a bit of orange zest. Wybauw also has a beer ganache formula I believe in "Fine Ganache 2". Anyone else have favorites they are willing to share or pointers to references?

March 28th is the cutoff date - try calling them. Kerry - I spoke with the hotel this morning. After initial confirming the group rate at C$109 up through 28 April, I received a call back claiming that the room rate escalates through the weekend from C$109 to C$119 and finally to C$139. The very nice woman who spoke with me claimed that this escalation is in the contract. March 28th is the cutoff date - try calling them. Kerry - I spoke with the hotel this morning. After initial confirming the group rate at C$109 up through 28 April, I received a call back claiming that the room rate escalates through the weekend from C$109 to C$119 and finally to C$139. The very nice woman who spoke with me claimed that this escalation is in the contract. UPDATE: I received a confirmation e-mail from Hilton with the following: Rate Type: EGULLET CHOCOLATE WO Rate per night: 109.00 CAD 25 Apr 2013 - 26 Apr 2013 119.00 CAD 26 Apr 2013 - 27 Apr 2013 139.00 CAD 27 Apr 2013 - 28 Apr 2013

March 28th is the cutoff date - try calling them. Kerry - I spoke with the hotel this morning. After initial confirming the group rate at C$109 up through 28 April, I received a call back claiming that the room rate escalates through the weekend from C$109 to C$119 and finally to C$139. The very nice woman who spoke with me claimed that this escalation is in the contract.

I would certainly enjoy hearing her thoughts about crafting bon bons for competition. For example, what does she believe is important? Multiple layers? Unusual flavors or combinations? What about decoration? Are there any trends in these areas? What tips might she offer to improve our molding skills which would help us reach for competition level shine? I would also be interested in hearing her thoughts on showpiece design and construction.

OK. I and my +1 are booked. Please also put us on the list for dinner Saturday night with Chef!

I was just checking the Hilton and the web site claims that the group rate is no longer available. I'm guessing that either we've filled the alotted rooms or that there was a time limit for booking the rate. Anyone else notice this?

I've been a fan for years of "The Bakers Manual" by Joseph Amendola and Nicole Rees.. My "copy" consists of 2 volumes. One is a set of "master formulas" and the other is a companion text which would be the foundation for teaching a class. From what Amazon shows now, it looks like the 2 volumes have been broken apart. But if you're looking for fundamental knowledge, I would consider this.

Very nice!

I have both aluminum and stainless steel bars that were cut to order. The SS bars definitely have that "rough" look to them but I simply clean them with soap and water. I may have any extraneous metal ground off. After using both, I think I prefer the aluminum bars as well. Could you tell me why you prefer aluminum? After having completed my first batch using the bars, I have a better perspective on what I am doing. First, wrapping the bars in foil does not work. It made me feel better, but when I started to cut the ganache free from the bars, little bits of foil were embedded in the ganache. So today I took some steel wool to the bars (not that it smoothed them off, but my theory was that it was getting off any dirt), then washed them thoroughly, and used them bare for the second batch. If any of my friends die from SS poisoning, I'll let you know. . When I got both sets of bars initially, I ran them through the dishwasher so I could clean off any residual oils or other cruft. I don't wrap them when I use them, and after use, I wash with hot water and dish soap. I prefer the aluminum bars frankly just for the lighter weight. The SS bars can be heavy if you stack 8 pieces (2 layers x 4 bars) on a board. The positive side of the SS bars is that they tend to move less on the board when I'm working on slabbing something.

I have both aluminum and stainless steel bars that were cut to order. The SS bars definitely have that "rough" look to them but I simply clean them with soap and water. I may have any extraneous metal ground off. After using both, I think I prefer the aluminum bars as well.

Thanks very much for those ideas. I have ordered stainless bars. My concern remains how stable they will be when I am smoothing the ganache, but I will soon find out. Someone mentioned taping them down if necessary. I will have to do something like taping when making a two-layer ganache. If you happen to have melted, tempered chocolate on hand, it makes a handy "glue" for the bars to the "table" and between the first set of bars and the 2nd set on top. You don't need much, and it cleans off rather easily with warm water and soap!

I've had "custom" aluminum bars cut to specific lengths. Check out Online Metals.

Not to mention, pumpkin ginger <insert item here>, pumpkin carrot <insert item here>, pumkin rasin (& carrot?) <insert item here>... you get the idea.

Kerry - You're much too organized.

I've been using a stick blender on a relatively low speed when I incorporate the butter and booze. This gives me an excellent emulsion. I'd love to say I came up with the idea, but I saw this technique being used by someone else.

I've been using the AUI Orchid line for a couple of years and find it's flavor, quality, and usability all quite good. You also have to consider what you're using it for. If you're simply eating chocolate, then yes, I would go with something different. One of my favorite eating chocolates is the E. Guittard "Sur del Lago" single origin. However, if you're making bon bons or other candies which include rather strongly flavored centers, then you should be looking for chocolate(s) which complement those centers. Personally, I find that the Orchid line has very nice flavors that work well with a variety of centers. This means I only need to stock 4 different chocolates (white, milk, 65% and 74%). Every additional chocolate you stock increases your costs. Finding something you like enough to use more broadly makes your operation more efficient.

I think "accessible" is a matter of opinion (and available cash).

Just ordered my copy (again). Amazon had cancelled my previous "pre-order" over a month ago.

Are these dates still correct? I would swear I answered this already - apparently I didn't - yup dates still correct. No doubt you have.

I agree with TCD about the flavor fading over time. It really depends on the flavoring agent used. However, I have a number of pieces in which the flavor declines far sooner than the shelf life of the product. For those, I recommend simply making smaller batches more often. This also has the benefit of reducing the time you hold the product before sale and/or consumption.

Steve, sorry I don't have an answer, but a question related to what you wrote above. You were saying that for your cream ganaches you expect a 6-8 week shelf-life. I am usually building my recipes based on Greweling's recommendation of 1:2 ratio of cream+liquour to (dark) chocolate, and my understanding is that this ratio gives a 3-week shelf life to chocolates, even if glucose or invert is added to extend the shelf life. So my question is: what is the liquefier-to-chocolate ratio in your ganaches, so that they may last for 8 weeks? I use a number of ganache formulas, some of them from Greweling. Many of the products include some form of alcohol which in addition to providing flavor, also inhibits microbial activity and extends the shelf life quite a bit. I'll have to check my notes, but Wybauw suggests that adding a alcohol (I'll have to check my notes on how much, but it's a few % of the total batch weight) can give you a shelf life of up to 6 months. Your mileage may vary. In my own case, I've done extensive testing by holding batches and cutting open pieces every week to check the status of the center. I've found that as long as I don't trap air, I avoid anything nasty for at least that long. Usually, I don't have things that long, but I want to make sure that customers have some time after the buy something to consume at their leisure.

Are these dates still correct?

Those are beautiful! Where did you get the book from? I haven't managed to find it on amazon.. The book isn't available in the USA, and checking Amazon UK, it appears to have a 1 - 2 month wait. I looked up the author and she teaches in Melbourne, VIC, Australia. I also went to the school web site which offers to sell you a copy if you provide contact details. I filled out the form and am waiting to hear from them in a few days since we're into the weekend on that side of the pond.