aguynamedrobert

Wow they sound like a good company....let us know what you think of the performance of the moldart machines once you try them out.... -Robert www.chocolateguild.com www.chocolatiernoel.com

Hello, I would try to cook the sugar to a little higher temp? are you using egg whites to make this or no? Either way Kerry is on here so she will be able to remedy something. I have just had my nougat not stand up before as well and I just needed to cook it to a slightly high temp. -Robert www.chocolateguild.com

Great Find....they got some experts working on some good stuff there at Callebaut...thanks for the tip -Robert www.chocolateguild.com

I think I didn't say what I thought about chocovision clearly enough...sorry about that. Whenever I had to get things fixed they were always very pleasant to work with but the machines where always breaking on us and a few times they didn't have the parts to fix them. They were always doing their best to please us though. Personally as a chococlatier I just don't think it is the best built machine there is....but that's my opinion. -Robert www.chocolateguild.com

This might not help you any but here is my opinion.... Chocovision is a horrible company. I used 2 of their tempering machines in a chocolate shop I worked in and they both broke multiple times. I only hear bad things about that company and I can only say the same. They are not well built at all. So you probably actually got off lucky that they are disorganized as well. -Robert www.chocolateguild.com

Okey Dokey, New question for chocolate bar lovers out there.... What is your favorite chocolate bar and brand and why? Mine is probably Guittard's65% Cocoa content bar from Ecuador......I have many many favorites but that one is always one I love to munch on.... Whats yours? -Robert www.chocolateguild.com

About the water ganache to use in the fountain....I have never seen it done but I guess it might be possible. It will have a different consitency than with just oil. It will not have the same mount feel of chocolate but I guess it would work. I would personally suggest just adding cocoa butter to it. That keeps the chocolate chocolate and makes it thin at the same time. -Robert www.chocolateguild.com

Why would you need to be concerned about the water and sugar being held at high temps? bacteria? if so, sugar is a natural antibacterial....just wondering if that is what you ment? -Robert www.chocolateguild.com

Great suggestions from everyone....if you want to thin it out add vegetable oil(or some kind of oil) or more cocoa butter....if you just want to buy a chocolate that will be very thin I would suggest getting LINDT chocolate....the bar I last tasted from them had 50% fat in it. Horrible as an eating chocolate but perfect for what you want to do.... To check the fat content just see how many grams of fat is in a bar and then divide it by the total grams of the serving size.... -Robert www.chocolateguild.com

For making Jellies you can also use a temperture procedure just in case you don't have an instrument to show the brix level. So if you don't have a "refractometer" to show the brix level then you can use the temperature method as well...let me know if you would like that procedure and I'll send it your way...it is a good skill to have, that is using the refractometer but if you don't have one right now then you can do it by temperature as well and when you are good you can even do it by sight.... tell us how they turn out, Robert www.chocolateguild.com

Yes those chocolates do look very good! I like the maple leaves the best but they are are colored very well. You do a very good fading job on them as well(at least from farther away)....did you do airbrushing or hand brushing to get the color on? -Robert www.chocolateguild.com

I know monkey bread as all the left over doughs put into one pan to make one loaf of bread that can be pulled apart after baking. Many as I recall were yeast based but I don't see why you couldn't use whatever you want! I mean it is monkey bread! it is supposed to be all the leftovers....well thats my opinion....have fun and tell us how it works out and what you end up using.... -Robert www.chocolateguild.com

adding cocoa butter is one one do this...just don't add too much...There is nothing worse than a chocolate filled with cocoa butter! You can also make sure that when you have finished tempering the chocolate you keep the chocolate at a high working temperature 90 degrees F. This will make it as thin as it will be with the ingredients already in it.... -Robert www.chocolateguild.com

Hey guys, I would have to agree and say that doesn't sound like a creme brulee at all. I mean we need to be open to differen styles and interpretations but I just don't think that what you had classifies. two reasons 1) it doesnt even sound like it is a custard dessert... 2) it doesn't have the caramelized sugar shell on top... Doesn't classify in my opinion -Robert www.chocolateguild.com

wow, what a great story. It is great to hear how everyone got into chocolate. Are you still working with computers right now Mette? What kind of equipment do you have to work with chocolate? welll I hope all continues to go well for you and your chocolate endevors... God Bless, Robert www.chocolateguild.com

How did you like his chocolates when you tasted them from Garisson confections? Do they meet high standards as I hear? -Robert www.chocolateguild.com

Good advice from John...he gave you a good procedure. Not many people work with Gianduja very often so sometimes we forget how to work with it(as I was a little confused)....yes Gianduja has just about the same shelf life as chocolate. 18 months is what I often see but it can go far past as well if stored properly. -Robert www.chocolateguild.com

Wow...lots of great tecniques shared....anyone know what he might come to the West Coast of the USA? -Robert www.chocolateguild.com

Wow...what a fun story. So how did you end up getting the tickets in the first place? I look forward to hearing updates... -Robert www.chocolateguild.com

Thanks for sharing...its fun to see people get started working out of their homes and then getting bigger. I actually had a chef going through culinary school that had her own chocolate business out of her home. Now I believe she managed to get a store front...but without starting in her home she might not have been able to....keep up the great stories! -Robert www.chocolateguild.com

Hello, are you looking at the procedure to make something like that or just seeing if other people like the same thing...if you would like to procedure for flaky pie crust I can help you out....just let me know... -Robert www.chocolateguild.com

Questions one...using chocolate you don't have to temper... -For this you will need to get "confectioners coating" or "confectioners compound" or "chocolate compound" or "chocolate coating". They are all the same name for the type of chocolate you do not have to temper. Real white chocolate you always have to temper but with the ones listed above they remove the cocoa butter and replace it with different vegetable fats so that it does not need tempering. Question two...can you color white chocolate? -You can only use colorings that are not water based. You need fat based coloring or "oil soluble" powder color. If you get water into chocolate it will seize up and it will be ruined(even with chocolate compounds mentioned above) so you need to get a coloring that is fat based or oil soluble... Hope that helps, Robert www.chocolateguild.com

well how long are you going to leave it around for?....it already has a very high shelf life...the thing with freezing it or with any other chocolate product is that moisture can get to it and if that happens it can ruin it. I would suggest just keeping it in an air conditioned room. It will last a long time in a normal household environment. (chocolate will last years at a normal environment and I think Gianduja is right along the same lines...but I will check with some associates of mine and get a for sure answer for you) -Robert www.chocolateguild.com do you live in Denmark? I saw copenhagen and I have some friends that live in that area. just wondering....

Yeah David...if you have a camera then get some pics...its always nice to have those on file and of course to share with us I would love to go to the Chocolate Show in New York but I'm out here in California...are you going? -Robert www.chocolateguild.com

Hey David, That is going to be a FUN course to take. Jean-Pierre Wybauw is a genius of chocolate and you are going to learn a ton! Take great notes! Let all of us know how it went when you are done with it. I will be eager to hear... -Robert www.chocolateguild.com