mostlylana

Kerry, I love it! Especially the second picture. That's art! Did you do side by side piping like John was describing or did you do 'injection' like Ilana talked about? I'm going to try it today. Can't wait!

Pam, I bought a few of these baby bars from DeBondt and this one did, indeed, have a dark base (top!) but not all of them did. The other 2 I had were mottled throughout. John, I had concluded that the way you described would be the technique I would try. My concern was that the 2 chocolates would blend rather than having distinct divisions (which is what I want) - especially when the molds are vibrated. I'm working on bars all this week so I'll give it a try. Ilana, your technique also sounds very interesting. I hadn't thought of that. I just watched the video. I actually didn't watch that one during the bowl thread - just the basket one. I'll definitely try this technique too. Can't wait to see what you come up with Kerry!

Sort of looks like you pour chocolate from both sides at the same time. ← Hi Kerry, Can you please explain what you mean by 'pouring chocolate from both sides at the same time"? I'm not following... Sorry!

Oh Ilana - there is no more bar!! Yum, yum!

I want to make some 2 tone chocolate bars - milk and dark. Paul DeBondt does his fleur de sel bars in this manner. I'm attaching a few photos of a half eaten DeBondt bar. I caught myself before I finished it! Notice that he has both colours on the back side of the bar. How is this accomplished? Normally when I do 2 tone - I squeeze in 1 colour and let set and then pour in the other. I did my Easter bunnies this way - but the inside doesn't show. The inside was all 1 colour... Can I squeeze in both chocolates at the same time to get both colours throughout? Does anybody do this technique? How?! Thanks all.

Is that the thing with the badger hair brushes - the softness?

Edward, take a look at this thread about half way down the page. http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showto...%20brush&st=210 It talks about a badger hair brush. I've never used one but would like to get one. I'm pretty darn sure it won't give the item a shine - if anything, I'm sure it will leave a dullish mark. Hopefully someone who's used one will chime in... Good luck with your showpiece!

Me too!!

I did a course with Joanne Mogridge from Cocoa West on Bowen Island, and she demolded onto cardboard cutouts with a piece of that flexible foamy packaging material laid over it. So in order: filled mold, foamy material, cardboard. Once unmolded onto the protected cardboard, the whole thing went into a rubbermaid container. A piece of foamy material was used on top and then layering was done until the container was full. I liked the efficiency of it but I don't really like the seal of the rubbermaid containers for storage. I'll have to find something different in order to freeze like that. She used crumpled tissue paper to fill up any gaps before freezing. I'm not sure if she froze in those containers or not. I'll have to ask her one of these days...

Wow! Congrats Deb! Which model did you end up getting? We're going to have to get together and spray. Keep us informed as to your learning curve. I haven't been using my gun at all. I keep moving on to different projects waiting for some free time. It's coming... the summer is almost here...

"note the off centeredness..." TSK TSK!! Your bowls are amazing! Stunning!! Well done!

Thanks for the battery info Steve - and yes Lior (Ilana!), I loved the caramelized white chocolate! Steve, I do all of my tempering in my Mol d'Art melters. I have never used a tempering machine but what I've heard from people is who prefer the Mol d'Arts is that there are no parts to clog with chocolate, they're quiet (no noise at all!) and what I like about them is that I am in total control - if the chocolate is getting overcrystallized I use my heat gun and don't stir as much. If it's undercrystallized I stir like crazy! I've gotten quite used to them and can now keep temper in them all day. I guess that's what it comes down to - you get used to what you are using and learn all the tricks to make life easy. Good luck with your research.

Thanks John! I'm definitely going to try the fan in the fridge. For heating molds, melting chocolate, keeping my spray gun warm, keeping cocoa butter melted, softening butter - I use my oven with the light on. It's amazing! I put a pot upside down over the exhaust hole of the back burner; that way all the heat stays in the oven. If I want to melt chocolate overnight, I put the bowl very close to the bulb. In the morning it's melted! If I want to just soften butter, I keep it away from the bulb! The molds line the racks. The molds will end up being too warm so I take them out before I need to use them. I have accidentily turned on the oven twice with something left in it. I discovered how to caramelize white chocolate this way I now make sure to put a post-it note on the oven dial when there's something in there!

Steve, I, too, use 2 Mol d'Art melters for my production (like Lior - I am small!). I love them. I got extra pans to hold different chocolates... I wish I would have ordered more. John, To clarify about your fan - it's electric? Does the cord just get squished in the seal of the door? I wonder if a battery operated fan would do the trick???? Thanks!

It also looks like he may have set the blower on his enrober to create a wave like appearance. It's hard to tell though... I, too, like the effect. The technique is discussed here: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=123427&st=120 I have to learn that cool trick of writing 'here' and having that be the link. So many things to learn!

Thanks! I think I'll try painting on texture sheets before using them. Imagine white snow flakes!

Thanks for the last of your pictures Steve. I have a question In the photo showing Kyle making his own transfer sheet - it looks as though he's painting on a texture sheet. Is he? That would make a neat effect. Has anyone tried that? I also like the clever idea to keep the coloured cocoa butter melted. I don't have a microwave so was going to lay them in my yogurt maker. We're quite an ingenious group aren't we?!

The balloon was done by Ruth who teaches at the college - she splattered the balloon with the Fuji spray gun, then dipped. The 'void' is done by wiping off the coloured cocoa butter spray with a Q-tip. The trick with the lines was done on the Selmi - as soon as the bonbon comes out from under the shower of chocolate, you drizzle the chocolate - the tapper that removes the excess chocolate causes everything to blend like that. I think we turned the blower off or at least down. Hand dipping - I guess you drizzle then tap - might be a two man (woman) operation. ← Thanks Kerry! For the drizzley lines technique, Ilana (Lior!) had the idea to place the bonbons on a sheet attached to a dental vibrator to get the same effect with hand dipping. It's worth a try! Now I have to figure out a way to get a sheet pan to stay on the vibrator...

Thanks so much to everyone who's posted info and pictures. It's great to see all of the creations. It must have been so much fun to get together. It's evident from the smiles! I have a few questions about techniques... 1) John, you showed a photo of a bowl done with splatter. Did you spray the balloon with splatter and then dip? It's great! 2) Steve, I love your dome! You mentioned splatter and 'void' techniques. What is the void technique? I imagine it refers to the line with no splatter going across the dome? Do you pipe in that line before splattering? 3) I absolutely LOVE the Kerry technique of piping contrasting chocolate over just enrobed chocolates to create lines that aren't raised. Ilana (Lior) and I have been trying to figure out that technique (of getting the lines down the sides) so it's quite fun to see it here! Is there any trick to getting the lines down the sides of the bonbon? Do you think this technique can be done (efficiently!) with hand dipping? I can't think of how... Thanks!

Me too!

I have never done truffles. I must say yours are BEAUTIFUL! I have a question - how do you get the coating so smooth and even - no swirl lines at all?!

Wow... so green.... I hope there's another one. I have to agree with Darienne Kerry - where do you get your energy?! I was telling my husband about you today and he mentioned that you sound like our friend Tom who's also a Dr. Boy that man gets a lot done! It must be those multi-tasking and efficiency skills kicking in to all parts of your life. Lucky for us! We're reaping the benefits! A big thank-you from me too!! Have a great last day.

Scneich, it would be amazing to see your spraying demo's. I have been a member of Egullet for not quite a year now and have learned so much from you. I don't know how many times I looked at your lab set-up and your Selmi demo photos. So informative! So just letting you know there's another one keeping an eye on this thread for your demo! (No pressure at all!!!) Thanks for being so willing to share. Lana

Wow, sounds like an amazing time at Tomric. Can this be a yearly affair? I'm sure I could make the time work next year! I have never heard of Japanese drinking vinegars. Sounds...??? I can't really imagine! Love the info Kerry. Keep it coming...

Take lots of pictures and VIDEO!! That way we (the cyber part of the conference!) can pretend we're there! Have fun!!!