Chocolot

Looks great, Kerry. Your lighting looks really good and bright.

I used the Nov 29 recipe. I think I will try the Nov 10 recipe next time.

Very interesting recipe. I cooked to 121C. (actually 242F for my altitude) They are perfect texture. I think I got the caramel too dark before adding butter and cream. The texture is very smooth and tender. It all but dissolves in your mouth, leaving a very clean feel. There is a slight bit of flow, but not much at all. I would like more of a dairy taste as these are mostly a burnt sugar taste, probably because I over did it. I also think I can taste the lecithin. What would happen with less?

I agree about the thin layer. Another thing you can do it put the chopped nuts in a deep-sided bowl or baking pan. Push nuts to one end, leaving a thin layer of nuts on the "thin" end. Place your dipped truffles on the thin layer of nuts. Before they set up, take a spoon of nuts or have a helper cover the coated truffles with another layer of nuts. You keep doing this building up 2 or 3 layers of truffles. You work your way to the center of the bowl or pan. when you run out of nuts and the truffles are set, gently shake the pan and the truffles will magically rise to the surface and you pick them out and place in cups. You keep repeating this and you will have them done in no time. I used to have my children do this for me. My son would play bulldozer with the nuts and then forklift driver. Hey--it worked!!:-)

Wouldn't the wire that Dedy supplied with the guitar be the correct wire? I haven't tried it again as I don't have time right now. I'll get out my trusty knife for the one cut that is missing.

The wire is what was supplied with the Dedy. It was breaking at the bolt. Must be tightening too much?

I broke my first guitar wire today. Husband tried to replace. 3 broken wires later, he quit. He threads it, wraps it around and gets it where he thinks it should be and it breaks again. Is there a simple way to do this? He isn't particularly mechanical, but it just can't be that hard. Help--anyone?

I use a commercial kitchen that has two Royal convection ovens. I really like them--have no idea on price.

I live at 5000 feet. You won't need to do much except up the oven temp 25 degrees. If you are making cakes etc, then you have more issues.

Have any of you had an apprentice? What is the protocol? Here is the deal. A gal contacted me several months ago and asked if I would consider letting her apprentice under me. She was willing to sign a non-compete and a confidentiality agreement. She is not planning on staying in the state and just wanted to explore some possibilities. She is in her 30s, married with one child. She is going to school and works in an Italian deli. She comes one day a week for about 6 hours. She has no experience in chocolate, and doesn’t seem particularly gifted in that area. She has come for 3 weeks, driving 30 miles each way. I provide her lunch. She will work for about 4 more weeks, then needs to work her regular job for the Holidays. I am trying to teach her general stuff, tempering, a little dipping, etc. I don’t want her really involved with making my chocolates, as I can’t afford to have someone learn when I am busy getting my stock built for the Holidays. On the other hand, I don’t think it is fair to just have her do grunt work. Anyone in a one-person shop has to do it all, but I don’t want her to have to spent all her time cleaning molds, and putting finished chocolates away or boxing. She is left-handed and I am not, so it is really hard to have her do much with the chocolate. I do have her hand dip small samples that don’t matter how they look. This is hard because of her left handedness. I have not, and will not have her involved in making ganache. I will show her how to make a ganache, but not my formulas. Here is my question: Do I offer to pay her for her time? She isn’t particularly helpful, but she is willing to try. Do I get her a gift card on her last day? What is my moral obligation to her? I know she could use the money, but I am not set up for payroll. She has never hinted that she expects anything, but I don’t know what is standard. Anyone?

This is a picture of our booth at the Colorado Chocolate Show 2009. Pictured are my daughter and daughter-in-law. (they work cheap:-)

Take a box with all sorts of stuff you might never use but wish you had. duct tape masking tape scissors bandaids pen/pencils paper-clip board change copy of your license/health permits bottled water paper towels are they providing tables and chairs? what about skirting for the tables? do you have to pay for electricity? wifi waste basket/box gloves signage This is just the starting list. Shows are a lot of hard work, but in the end, they are sort of fun.

Not having tasted it, I can only guess, but it might be a cream fondant with added butter and mazetta or marshmallow cream. The mazetta is not as sweet, but gives an airiness to the fondant. The more you add, the softer the center. If you add too much, it is hard to dip.

I put in a little black food coloring. They looked kind of purple then gray. I used a flowing caramel.

After all the beautiful photos, I will post my Halloween Eyeballs:-) They are filled with a gooey gray caramel. They are gross to look at, but were fun to make, and they taste good.

I just picked up an airbrush from Harbor Freight for less than $10 us. It has 5 bottles (that fit the Badger) and each has its own quick change lid with tube. I tried it out yesterday and it works like a charm. It is great to have the extra bottles and lids so if you want to change colors fast, or it gets clogged, you are ready to go.

That looks terrific. I am happy for you. The size is wonderful.

Considering that butter itself is around 80% butterfat, that seems like the way to go. Or you could whip it up a bit and go ahead and make butter with it. Edited to add: if you can't whip previously frozen cream, could you still make butter out of it ? Is the cream solid enough to seem like it really is that high, or is it more liquid? ← It is thick like toothpaste.

My local cheesemaker just gave me a bag of frozen cream that he skimmed. He guesses it is about 80% butterfat. I would like to make a ganache with it, but not sure whether to dilute down, or follow a butter ganache recipe. Anyone with experience making ganache with really heavy cream? I know I could add milk and thin it down, but I would like to take advantage of the butterfat as is.

Me too!! I thought I was the only one with Aztec problems.

Not a chemist, but I do have a few years experience making fondant centers. 1. Did you cook the fondant yourself? 2. Cream based or water based? 3. If you cooked, what temp did you cook it too? Short answer is that acids tend to invert the sugar and make them softer.

I might just have dumb luck, but I heat the jewel cocoa butter the same as the regular. I never temper. The warmer the better as far as I am concerned. I don't have a sticking problem (knock on wood).

Most of their centers are a cooked fondant. Sugar (white or brown or combo) cream, corn syrup, cooked to soft ball. Pour out to cool-beaten to start crystallization. Flavors are added during beating process. Can add butter during cooking or during beating. A cooked mazetta (like a marshmallow creme) can be added during beating to add lightness to the batch. Roll into balls. Allow to stand to form a slight crust for a few hours before dipping.

I have 5# of Amano Madagascar and am afraid of not doing anything wonderful enough for it. I used a little of it in a ganache with no added flavors, just wanting the flavor of the chocolate to speak for itself. Anyone have a good idea of what I should do with it? It pays to live within an hour of Amano

I'm impressed that you got it to go back together! I use equal amounts by weight of butter and sugar and 2 oz of water per lb of butter/sugar. If I don't get the sugar completely dissolved in the butter and water before starting to boil, I have the same problem. I even rinse off the stirring tool to be sure not to introduce sugar crystals back into the batch. I made 2000# last Christmas Toffee, like chocolate, occasionally likes to let you know who is really in charge.