prairiegirl

What have I learned in 2007? I learned that I don't have enough time to try all the different recipes and ideas that everyone has shared.!!! All of you have at various points of time have been extremely helpful with recipes, or trouble shooting!! I would say that in terms of my chocolate making that what I have learned in 2007 thru this forum and thru some Callebaut demos in my town, that my knowldege quadrupled. Yes, I learned more in 2007 than in the 12 years that I have been making chocolates. What has also been very helpful is people helping to source different ingredients, and the postings about all the different chocolate books that came on the market. For example, I was able to purchase some awesome vanilla beans thru EBay because of what others shared in this website. Today I am making a turkey stuffing, and I got the recipe off of the Cooking Forum. I plan on making a contribution to this website because this website has been EXTREMELY helpful. Merry Christmas. Deb.

well Lior, as the debate goes on...! I would also guess to call those contraction marks. The last point in which the chocolate releases. I have a Chocolate World mould that I use to make cookies, they are a wafer and I always get that kind of marking on each and every wafer. I was at a seminar last spring and a chocolate/chef from Callebaut was presenting. I brought some of my work to show him to trouble shoot your very problem and that is what he told me it was. Hilliards chocolate systems sells a badger bristle brush that can be used to buff out some of the smudging. But for specific problem on the bar, it would not be the most appropriate method. Please let us know what your expert tells you!

The colored cocoa butter needs to be tempered. If you are using a PCB bottle and you are melting the whole bottle (especially as volume becomes less) then perhaps the cocoa butter has gone out of temper. Just a thought!

When I mould larger objects such as yule logs, or the JKV tea cup and saucer I was getting the smudging/heat spots. I use a fan to blow from underneath the moulds and the room temp is at 20 celcius and that seems to remedy my problem. I did contact a few chocolatiers. Ricuitti said to use the fans at room temp, and another said "don't shock the chocolate" with sudden temp changes, such as a fridge, until the chocolate cools completely in the mould.

I second that!!

I bought the Hilliards Little Dipper and it works well as a "dipper" but not so good for doing a lot of moulding. The capacity is too small and the constant taking out of chocolate and then adding it back (when moulding) causes the chocolate to crystalize to quickly and also I get moments of warm chocolate because I am trying to remedy the first problem! I regret not buying a melter. I plan on purchasing one sometime between now and Christmas! I am going to advertise the dipper, but if it doesn't sell I can still get plenty of good use out it. I much prefer a melter and it will be a Mol d'Art.

Mike, I agree with Kerri. I have experienced the cracking in the past and I have firmed up my centres and I no longer have the problem. I would think that if the shell is too thin, and a soft center, then there is a lot of cracking.

I am wondering if anyone knows what kind of couverature Purdy's uses for there chocolates? I am doing research for an upcoming presentation and I can't remember what they use. I have emailed them but I need the answer sooner then later! Thanks for your help.

I use a whole assortment of chocolate. I pair different chocolate with the fillings I use. For example I like to use Valrhona Caraibe as part of the ganach for a coffee filling. Candied orange peels I use Valrhona Manjari. I will use Cocoa barry 64% Quayaquil for thin shell moulding, as well as for dipping nuts. I will use El-Rey and Vintage Plantations also. I tend to like Cocoa Barry better than Callebaut, but I also really like Callebaut 665 milk because it does taste very good and I like the colour contrast as it is a light milk chocolate. i have many different chocolate brands on hand because I use them in my chocolate tasting presentations and my clientele also likes the variety I use. Callebaut and Cocoa Barry have a large single origin line of chocolate out on the market, but I go with the small batch producers because they don't deodorize the cocoa butter and they are purchasing some of the best beans on the planet! So when I do a tasting the flavours really pop out and people understand why some chocolate is $3 and why others are $10

I have 4 kids so I do alot of baking. My boys have a hot chocolate recipe that they developed and they use lots of cocoa powder, especially on colder days! It is fun to watch an 11 year old boy mix sugar and cocoa together...to make his drink. I currently buy the Valrhona 3 kg box with each kg wrapped in it's own pouch. Sometimes I buy the 5kg Van Houten powder. We buy larger quantities because we use alot.

I read some old threads on Sucroline..Invert sugar. I am searching for more information. Have you tried Sucroline? Do you like it?

Kerry, It all looks good. I made the cocomels last month and they were winners with some of my customers. The bugs seem very interesting! The Australian licorice, what is the licorice like and where did you source it from?

I read a post and now I can't find it! It was about turkey stuffing that is baked and not put in the turkey. Does anyone know where it is? Does anyone have a good turkey stuffing recipe that you are willing to share?

Thanks for the excellent report.

Fantastic. Great job!!

One more question. I have always been confused about the definition of a grain alcohol. So, what is a grain alcohol? I am assuming that Rye (crown royal) is a grain alcohol. What about Vodka, is it a grain alcohol?

What is the best tasting and best quality vanilla bean on the planet?

To the jury: What is the best software to use? I want to be able to price what my costs are, I also want to be able to have the info for nutrient value per my goodies. Labeling laws require I show nutrient content on my confections.

Last week I made a crude batch of chocolate with my cocoa nibs. I have enough to make another batch. I put them thru my champion juicer and then a vitamix. I then made brownies with the chocolate and I am still getting great feedback about my brownies. I had El rey nibs that have been sitting in my cupboard for over 6 months. I like to chew on them as well! I found that there were lots of husk in the nibs which is hard on the teeth and doesn't taste to good. So that is why I made chocolate with them.

I'm curious about how you created the "containers". Did you poor plaques (molds) and simply not fill them? ← I saw the shapes in the new American Qzina catalog.

I have sourced the albumin. A large health food store carries it. I need to find the invert sugar. That could be more difficult. I will try some patisseries and buy 250ml. Thanks for the help. i am quite focused on making frappe and the cocomels!!!

Kerri, Where would I find albumin? Would I go to a pharmacy or to a health food store? I am in Calgary.

Cocomel: Has anyone made this one? Do I need to add Frappe to it?

I am picking alot of the neighbor's apples and I am making fruit leather with it.

Today I made Nan King cherry marshmallows! I have been picking these berries for the last 2 weeks. My daughter was trying to get something out of the freezer and she told her friend who was with her that "I am obsessed with Nan King Cherries"!! I have about 40 Litres in my freezer. I have had to solicite friends for freezer storage!! I am currently making fruit leather with Nan king cherries and apples (picked from the neighbor's yard). I would like to dip my marshmallows in Valrhona Manjari 64% because it would really bring out the fruitiness...but I am too cheap to part with my Manjari. I may try using Cocoa Barry Cuba... an nice bitter/sweet infusion. okay I will do a few in the Manjari and I will share some with my best customers!! I plan on experimenting with ganaches as well to see if I can get a good nan king cherry chocolate.