Chocolot

Some of my Valentine hearts.

I don't use magnetic molds, but I think some people brush the chocolate in first, then pour. Would that work here? Just a question--why don't you make your shells the first day and make your ganache the second and put it in fresh? With any transfer, I like to leave them in place at least 12 hours before removing them. Some are ready in just a few minutes, others seem to take overnight.

Does Couverture need to be defined here? I would never use Merckens and couverture in the same sentence. Merckens makes an acceptable dipping chocolate, but not couverture. Maybe it is just me and my definition of couverture.

Not for pressure frying, but Cuisinart makes a great electric pressure cooker. You can slow cook, saute, brown, simmer and keep warm as well as cook rice. The keep warm keeps soup at the ideal serving temp. It has replaced my crock pot, pressure cooker and rice cooker.

If you put it in a plastic bag and seal it, it will soften on its own. You must have overcooked it.

I am assuming you are talking standup caramel, not caramelized sugar caramel. The more water, the longer it will take to cook to a specific temp. While it is cooking, more sugar will invert. It doesn't make a lot of difference (other than the inversion) how much you start with. The longer it cooks, the dark the color and more pronounced the flavor.

I just received a notice from Amazon that it has shipped. Yippee!!

You are making this way too hard. Melt the choc to 120. Turn the temp down to working temp-90? Throw some broken up block in the back of the baffle. Turn the bowl on and walk away. When it hits the working temp, you are ready to go. Leave the block in the back, or what is left of it. Keep seed in the back while you are working. This will slowly melt and you can continue working. If it seems to over crystallize, turn the temp up 1-2 degrees.

Nice work Kerry. Emily from Vermont was in MY class at Callebaut. I think she lives close enough that she takes a lot of classes there:-) Do Canadians really like gravy over fries?

My understanding is LSI makes many different corn syrups with different properties. You can call them at (510)420-7100. They should be able to give you the properties of each. I would not recommend exchanging for invert sugar as a general rule.

I watched them Kerry, but can't find them either. He also made some fun tulips. If you have a question, maybe all our collective minds could help?

These are my Halloween eyeballs. Booberry, sLime green and Blood orange.

If the juice is cooked, as it is when canned, it won't be a problem.

CHEWY COCONUT CENTERS 1/2 cup light corn syrup 12 large marshmallows 1 3/4 cups coconut 1 teaspoon vanilla 1/4 teaspoon almond extract In a heavy 2-quart pot, combine corn syrup and marshmallows. Place over medium heat and stir until marshmallows are melted. Stir in remaining ingredients. Refrigerate 10 minutes or until cool enough to handle. Butter hands and shape into small ovals. Flatten slightly and dip in tempered chocolate. Makes about 50 pieces.

Can these transfer sheets only be used on magnetic molds?

My link How about this one? I have one but haven't played yet.

I agree with you Sebastian, but a thermometer tells you how much water is left. If you end with the same temp, it should be the same amount of moisture, shouldn't it?

I can't tell you why, only that it happens:-) I can make batch after batch of a particular candy, and each batch is a little different. Maybe the room is a bit warmer as you continue to cook, maybe you measured something slightly different. I once made 6 batches of pulled buttermints, one after the other. I had people here to pull them. Each batch crystallized a little differently. I'm sure there is a great scientific reason for it, but just be grateful the toffee didn't separate and enjoy it:-)

Toffee tends to "tenderize" after a few days. It is only crisp for a while. Maybe the one batch is just faster?:-) It doesn't really soften like with moisture, but it becomes less brittle. The bite is less hard. I don't think I am making much sense!

Thanks everyone. Today is much smoother:-)Tempering itself is challenging as is adjusting an enrober. Combine them and it is enough to keep this old lady awake at night!

Those are absolutely beautiful!!

I got my new Perfect enrober yesterday and within 5 hours of it arriving, I was enrobing:-) It was cinnamon bears, but I was still enrobing!! I figured they were a cheap item to practice on. My question for you experience enrobers--As it comes off the belt to the paper, it is leaving a small chocolate tail. It doesn't seem to matter the speed or how much chocolate is blown off. What am I doing or not doing?

Kerry--you are amazing!

I think we all have similar issues. One thing I have started doing is putting a "foot" on the top and bottom. This way, it tends to hold the caramel a little bit more square while waiting its turn to be dipped. I also use untempered chocolate so that it stays on a little better.

The knives are capable of cutting all the way through. It sort of depends on how well I have cooked them:-) I let them stand at least one day (for some reason they seem to cut cleaner if I do that). I cut them on a self-healing mat. If I had more arm strength, it wouldn't be a problem. I usually put a chocolate foot on the slab of caramel and cut away. If you rock the cutter back and forth, it will cut all the way through. Start in the center and work out to the edges or you will roll up the strips as you cut. A word of caution--the knives are fairly sharp and the handle very heavy. Be careful that it doesn't fall onto your foot, or the floor. I bought my first knife used and it came with 4 inch blades. Before I got it, it had been dropped and the blades had dents in them. I took them to a knife sharpener and he took out the dents but told me not to come back with them again:-)