chocofoodie

I am having a problem where some of the chocolates come out of the mold shiny and beautiful, and others come out dull. I'm talking about the same mold. I don't know what's going on! Is it possible that this could be from putting it in the freezer? Because when I flip it over the first time, some will come out. Then I put it in the freezer for ten minutes and try again, some more come out. Then it goes back in the freezer and the rest come out. Is this process causing the change?

What kind of milk? Whole or skim? How hot should it be? just boiled?

Is there anything I can do to fix grainy ganache after it has set??

It does have cornflour in it as well as egg yolk. Maybe I should just change the recipe to one without egg? how much more time do you think it will give me? I would rather not refridgerate the chocolates once they are finished. I dont like eating cold chocolates and I don't like the look they get after coming out. You know how they lose that shiny tempered chocolate gloss and look sort of dull and unpolished? So everyone is in agreement that it would not be a good idea to keep them at room temperature for more than a week?

I was thinking of putting pudding into molded chocolates.... the egg yolks are cooked, but it has to set in the fridge. I don't know what will happen to it at room temperature, I don't know if it will rot or what? does something like this have a shelf life?

So if money and location werent an issue, where would you go to train as a chocolatier?

hey everyone, thanks for all the great replies! I am so happy to see that there are actually lots of chocolate specific classes and programs out there! lapin d'or: I was looking at that class when I was in London, I would love to hear what you think. It looks great. I'll be back in December, so if you like it maybe I'll take it then. digigirl: I took the class at Ecole because I wanted to get started and had no idea how. It was good in that respect. It gives you an overview of chocolate history, then you get these basic recipes for all kinds of chocolate variations, including things like fondants, nougats, etc, and then the last modules are on things like packaging and marketing plans. I guess it depends on what you are looking for and what kind of a learner you are. The class gave me some basis, but I feel that I would really benefit from something 'live' where an instructor can correct technique. With ecole I was able to get my foot in the door, but I dont feel i can take it to the next level without more professional guidance. If I had the choice before between the 25 hour chocolate class at the FCI and Ecole, I probably would have gone with the FCI, even though FCI is more expensive. thanks for the links, i will check them out. cheripie: thanks, they actually have a chocolate class for next week! and it's cheaper than the FCI.

Hey everyone, Does anyone know of any reputable chocolatier trianing programs? I took a class from Ecole Chocolat online, but I wanted to do something hands on now. I'm in NY for a few months and have been looking at the French Culinary Institute. They have a class for serious amateurs called Chocolate and Bonbons but I wanted something more inclusive I guess. I feel like it is to intro level and doesnt do any confectionary except the tofee which I want to do as well. Has anyone taken it and can give me some feedback? And does anyone know of any program that fits the bill better? Thanks everyone!!

Thanks for the replies! Ive contacted bekaert and dupont about their catalog or product list, their search is rather annoying, nothing comes up! Im not sure if they carry things like Confectionary frames, or caramel bars. thanks!

Does anyone know where to get confectionary supplies in London? I figure stores that sell things like invert sugar may be easier to find then equipment suppliers, but im looking for both if anyone has any ideas.. Oh an I found glucose syrup at Sainsbury's, but its in tiny quantities. Thanks!

I agree about the tempered ganache. Though you are an expert and I, well... i am just interested in learning.. and for me the tempered ganaches have been easier for me to work with, and have had more positive reviews from people on smoothness. and that's the thing.. I am just making tiny batches for family/friends, I usually make like 20 pieces that are done within a day, two at most. And I like the taste of the ganache without the glucose syrup, so that's another reason why i wouldnt want to add it, i think it will make it to sweet for my taste. But I dont know how to simplify the recipes.. for things like the basic ganache, I had a recipe for basic ganache that I just followed. but for these more advanced things, I dont know what to do. I have never made anything with glucose syrup or invert sugar. I made caramels, but I made them by boiling a can of sweetened condensed milk. and i have every intention of doing that again for the sleeping beauties, its the nougat I need to work on.

I haven't made these yet (someone around here has though) but I'm collecting and freezing leftover ganaches to give it a try sometime. From Wybauw's Fine Chocolates book: 2000g Chocolates for reprocessing 700g Water 2g Sodium Bicarbonate 500g Sugar (if required) 500g Corn Syrup (or glucose) Butter (if pralines don't have any) Vanilla Extract Heat chocolates, water and sodium bicarbonate, stirring well to avoid scorching. When it begins to boil, strain and add sugar and corn syrup. Return to boil and when it reaches 110C (230F) add butter. As soon as you reach the desired cooking point, add vanilla and pour into a frame on a silicone mat. Cool. Cut. Dip in chocolate if desired. ← I think this is going to save my life! You can FREEZE left over ganache?! I make these tiny batches of chocolates and I always have extra that I never know what to do with... and i LOVE caramels :-)

Desiderio, these look amazing! I like the darker coloring of yours better than the ones in the Grewling book.

Hey everyone, How faithful are you guys to the grewling recipes? I wanted to make the sleeping beauties, but the ingredients list a lot of 'stuff'. what can i cut out that isnt really necessary? Is glucose syrup integral? id rather make them without. even his ganache recipe calls for glucose syrup, and i just make it with cream and chocolate. thanks for the help!

Thanks for the reply! I refridgerated it, and while it may not be as 'fresh' it still tastes fine. On another note, grewling also says that when making molded chocolates to fill the molds and then let them sit for however many minutes you want to set the thickness of the shell. since i started doing this, i have been having a problem of some of the shells not emptying out. they just stay full. am i doing something wrong, like maybe my chocolate it to cold or something? maybe i should stick to the old way of just pouring it out right away. i was just wondering what you guys did.

Hi everyone, Just got this book, its wonderful! Quick question, he says that its better not to refridgerate the ganache overnight, but to leave it out. How long do you guys leave your ganache out? let's say I made the ganache today, left it out overnight tomorrow, made a batch, and had extra ganache left over. can I leave it out and use it the following day, or no?

Are you guys able to achieve consistent flavors using only natural means?

So there is no general consensus then on extracts vs flavoring oils? No preferences? What about other flavoring alternatives, for example, at the LorAnn Oils site, they have the following listed as chocolate flavor then they have an orange emulsion and they've also got a whole line of plain old flavoring oils. I've also seen vanilla paste out there, and vanillin, as alternatives to vanilla extract. So you guys seem to make your own flavors then, from original ingredients, rather than relying on these types of flavoring agents?

Hey everyone, Does anyone have a favorite for flavoring their chocolate? The more I research this, the more flavor options I find, the more confused I get! Thanks!!

I think the surface would be smooth because it releases the heat the fastest, so it wouldnt have as much time to develop big crystals. And I think the problem is the butter, the second time when I got the grains, i did it exactly the same as you did, and the butter gave me some trouble melting and incorporating so i had to mix a lot. I think it works best when the butter is either boiled with the cream, or put on top of the chocolate and allowed to sit in the boiled cream.

merlicky, I havent been doing this long at all either, and am having similar issues. As an experiment, I think you should do this: Mix your ganache, then split it in two. Put one in the fridge, and then either pipe the other half, or spread it thinly in the bottom of a rectangular container. Question: For how long did you mix the ganache? Did you stop mixing quickly after everything looked together, or did you mix for a while? The other question I had was: After your ganache set, did you mix it before you used it? or did you just start scooping out of the bowl? Last Question: Was the ganache covered while it set? Just wanted to see if there are any similarities between what we did, then we can isolate the problem.

Look at just these three sites, the first sites quoted on the U.S. version of this thread: Assouline and Ting - wholesale, no minimum order. Great prices on E. Guittard, also has Valrhona. http://www.icaviar.com/Store/Scripts/prodL...?idCategory=387 Noble Ingredients - Michel Cluizel's USA operation. http://uk.cluizel.com/chocolatier/Retailers/48.html Chocosphere - Big advantage here is huge variety, in both brands and package sizes. But prices are not as good as the others. http://chocosphere.com/ But aside from the chocolate itself, the oils, molds, etc are soooooo much cheaper. it costs under 5 dollars to get a 30 ml bottle of flavoring oil, but it costs 10 pounds here. When I ordered my molds from the U.S., I got them for under 10 dollars each. And I would buy the chocolate too if it wasnt so heavy! The Cluizel is pricy, but at least there are a few options now. Thanks for the two names, they will come in handy! btw, on the cluizel website, they list town and country as the only supplier for the U.K.

These are the people in Borough Market: www.darksugars.co.uk I picked up their postcard once when I was there. Are they the people you are talking about?

Thanks for the tip! Do you know of a website for Michael Lee?

EXACTLY! I'd like Cluizel, and I wish you could get Guittard or schaffer berger. I was sure that I wasnt googling (dont attack!) correctly. I am just so surprised by the lack of sources for couverture and other chocolate making supplies. I've been ordering from the U.S. because they have such a wealth of options (not the chocolate, that would be impossible to bring back - but everything else: molds, oils, transfer sheets, anything..) Thanks for the tip on wild harvest, I never heard of them before. Are they only online? It just really doesnt make sense, I KNOW that UK chocolatiers are not all using Callebaut.