Chocolot

Just buy some freeze dried fruits and put in food processor. Drying your own, unless you have a freeze drier will work, but not as well.

Have you looked at a Savage? https://www.savagebros.com/p.25/artisan-chocolatier-small-batch-chocolate-melters-temperers.aspx They are a bit pricey, but I have 3 of them and wouldn't be without them. They are simple to operate. You can temper in them, or get an EZTemper. My enrober is a wheel (Perfect). It gets the job done, and has paid for itself many times over. It just takes some work and experience to get it where you want it. Before investing, I would try to see the equipment in person. The thing with the Savage, it has a guillotine drawoff. You can place your molds under and control the amount of chocolate that comes out. Tap excess back into the top. Great for production. Another consideration is where you are, and if you have the electricity necessary. All my equipment runs on 110. Most equipment can be ordered either 110 or 220.

Yes Passionfruit ganache. Probably the combination of Iphone and fluorescent lights changing the color.

Why is it that in person, your chocolates look pretty good, then you take a closeup and post them and all the flaws show up?? Square is a new flavor--Browned Butter in Dulce, Green is Caramel Apple Caramel, and heart is Passion Fruit, with a loose PDF and ganache. I'm sure I could have found thinner bottoms, but didn't want to waste them all trying to find it:)

In my experience, there is no need to lower the temp to 88 after seeding with Mycryo. Just put in the seed, stir, test temper and go. If chocolate cools too much while using, add a little warm untempered or tempered chocolate to it and continue. Using heat gun and not stirring really well, could be part of the problem.

I think it does both, but it might just be my imagination:)

Jim, Bob has a brilliant solution. He uses a large Presto electric cooker. They are only about $30 at Walmart. You can control the temp. I use it when I only want a few hundred pieces. When I need more, I use the large copper kettle.

To get the color darker and flavor stronger, just cook it longer. So when the temp goes too high, add a little water to drop it down. Try to not let it stop boiling when you do this. You can keep doing this for a long time and get it to the color you want. Glucose interferes with browning, baking soda increases browning. You can cook caramel for hours this way. Just remember that the longer you cook it, the more sugar is inverted.

I think there is a base that people who own a "fudge kettle" buy and do their own add-ins. It is probably specific to their brand of kettle.

Sounds like a great venue!! Would it be possible to get RJ or NR to teach a class? Definitely want to visit their stores.

Glad you are enjoying the book. I can’t believe it has been more than 34 years since we wrote it. I have changed most things, but the caramels are the same😀. My mother would be amazed to see what we are doing today.

The electric fry pan was used only to hand dip from, never melt. The idea was to turn it on only for a few seconds to get the edges to melt back in. It was very limited to hand dipping literally with your hands, not a fork. Kerry came up with a great way to keep your melted chocolate melted, using a warming tray from the thrift store and a lamp dimmer from IKEA. Once you get your initial chocolate in temper, you can feed it with untempered chocolate and work all day. No need to stop and retemper when you run out.

He is coming to Salt Lake to teach two classes. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/amaury-guichon-masterclass-tickets-47623730861?aff=eac2

What about using a silicone mold instead? https://shop.chefrubber.com/products/155/Caramel-and-Ganache-Moulds/

Kerry's link shows it in operation. That one looks just like mine, although the die is smaller.