chocoera

wow prairiegirl, i'm so happy for you! glad to hear the first couple days went over well, and that you found great help (that is also a concern for me) are you in a small town or larger city? i considered the web resume thing, but since we're a small town, i might do word of mouth or personally scout someone (i have my eye on a 17 yr old that loves to bake and is going to pastry school when she graduates) she's kinda shy, but i believe she would open up once she gets comfortable....i'm thinking 2 part time employees to start and then seasonal help.... how did you hot chocolates go over? well? would love to see pictures and hear more stories! thanks for your advice and wish you continued success! *did more work on the store...got flooring mostly put in. my new name for VCT (vinyl composite tile) is now very crappy torture but the laminate wasn't quite as bad! pics and narrative to come soon!

that sounds like a wonderful idea! were the marshmallows homemade? how thick was your chocolate drink? and i love the idea of the raspberry syrup in it! mmmmmmmmmm

wowzers! that's really exciting prairiegirl! keep us up to date on any kinks or things you were really really glad you did, or daily successes you're proud of here...i'm rooting for you! how many employees are you doing and what will your shop carry or provide? hmmm...you said hot chocolate is being served....care to educate?! and to all my other lovely friends, thank you for the encouragement, i will keep you updated weekly on things going on. one thing i already am concerned about...i feel a storm brewing with our landlord...hopefully its nothing, but i'll let you know..... *note: i feel that our landlord is trying to get out of his verbal/semi written lease commitment terms and raise our rent and not pay for one of the utilities as previously promised. we have things in writing, but he had yet to give us a legal document with both signatures on it, and we've been asking him about twice a week for the legal lease for a couple months now and he has yet to provide. oh, did i mention we just happen to be renting from a family acquaintance? it makes things all the more stickier..... wish us luck...better yet...pray for us please but, i will be thankful for our new location and for family willing to help with all the grunt work! it is thanksgiving after all!! happy thanksgiving!

hi you guys as i've told some of you, my husband brad and i finally did it. we (ok, I) filled out a ton of paperwork, got some loans (or town does a great 0% interest/5 yr loan and the county does a great loan for 4.5% interest 7 yrs....) anyway, after a ton of headaches with potential landlords, deals falling through, finding a place large enough to lease (we didn't have enough money to buy right off the bat, and we wanted to make sure our new community could support our businesses before getting stuck with a commercial property) but yes, we ended up with a spot right off of state st (which is our town's main st, redone to be cute and "old time" with all the shops on the st and side streets being independently owned) and since we're on a side street, we are taking measures to make sure our store stands out, with very cool vintage signs and we are in the process of getting a 4 ft awning to draw the eye down the street! to start, here's some pictures of what we started with, the deconstruction, the framing, and then painting. we've done all the construction ourselves (except for the mudding, and of course, the plumbing and electrical) but the demo and building were done by me, brad, and my sister sara, and her husband scott. we are continuing painting this weekend, and hope to install flooring in the next week or so. enjoy the pictures, and i'll will update this thread with any new drama, pics, or revelations feel free to ask any questions, as i'm sure you are all aware of now, that i have no reservations when asking you guys questions! you are all my inspiration and guidance and would not have gotten to this step without you!!! oh yes, you may be wondering what the store will offer? well, i'll be doing a small selection of coffee drinks and teas (thinking about forte teas, and i have a local coffee guy i LOVE and will do capps, mocha, espresso, iced coffee a house brew (that we are specifically designing for the store! yea!) and as some of you have read, serving hot chocolate (which is cause for much frustration and confusion for me right now) and then some breakfast goods, (scones, brioche, whatever i make that morning!) and then offer chocolates, fudge, baked goods, tortes, hi ratio cakes etc... and then non-edible items will be whimsical aprons and towels(a friend from CA), homemade lavender products (a friend from NE) and handmade very chic purses and hair accessories( friend from NE)...then Iowa native wines by the bottle, and some imported cheeses. as you can tell, when you're in a small town, you really need to diversify. so if someone doesn't come in for chocolate, they might come in for something else. but i really tried hard to make everything correspond and compliment with everything else because i don't want to be a gift shop. i want to be a magical, relaxing and fun place to go eat fine desserts and leave your world behind (*sigh...there goes me dreaming again!*) and then for services, besides wedding favors and what not, we'll do monthly date nights, where we reopen at night for music, appetizer and a plated dessert (a plated dessert will not normally be offered at the cafe...just things like brownies, creme brulee, chai tea torte etc) and then i want to do a "make bake n' take cooking club" for parents and kids to do together at the store and then take home...it'll be cool... as for bradley, he will be down the hall and have an open gallery and photo studio with gallery wraps, cool lighting, flat screen TV for viewing your photos, custom designed albums and cards, hand crafted frames, and just a very comfortable but chic place to meet your photographer for families, weddings or seniors, or else a place to walk through on your lunch break! its going to be decorated so...fun sorry...long over due...here are some pics! xoxoxo PS the later photos were done late at night...so kinda dark....and the ceiling is done, all brown! and that greenish color is actually more in the neutral family, the construction lights make it look a little off...but basically i took my biz card and translated it into the store...and furniture is second hand that i bought, sanded, painted a buttercream color, and then distressed and varnished...oh, did i mention i will have a lovely 8ft granite chocolate sit up bar? oh yes.... and i didn't get any pics of bradley's area yet, as we are still working on finishing the suspended ceiling, but his area will be a big focus this weekend, so i'll update when i have something exciting to show. and we do have a bathroom, not shown yet, but will after we get wallpaper up (a lovely copper with dk brown damask design) but the all our footage upstairs is about 1,400 and then i have about 200 downstairs for a packaging room (the really messy area you saw was downstairs) :0)

christinajun, that sounds wonderful, i would love to try your ratios out depending of course on your viscosity, what size of cup is it served in? do you offer a few sizes/ounce options? and is it marketed as a dessert or drink? i hope to try out a few things in the next week or so to figure out best methodology for serving in my type of atmosphere(more dessert/coffee cafe-ish) :0) i'm feeling i may have to give up on a favorite recipe because i'm not sure how it'd work without making the entire batch from scratch everytime, and if someone orders it as a drink, people usually want it a tad speedier (compared to sitting down, and drinking it as a dessert, where you expect to wait for that lovely sweet ending!) thanks again! (ps: with your dessert station...is that portable? like using an induction burner? or just the area in your kitchen used for prepping and plating desserts?) have a happy thanksgiving!!!

thanks for a picture of the stick idea kerry, like lior said, that would serve double duty in the cafe and be a great gift....and maybe that would be a neat presentation having them do it themselves....as for the espresso machine, i used to work in a coffee shop, so i'm friends with my machine its a manual (no fancy computer espresso machine for me!) and i know how to manipulate my steam wand pretty well...as for the hot choc machine, you're right....residential would probably not be ok with erik g, (my health inspect) and i being small-time, i just can't justify $800 for a machine if i can do something else to replace (whereas obviously an espresso needs an espresso machine, and you can produce many drinks from one machine) and yes, i do also agree...streamlined is best.....if we can figure out a way to use what i have but keep machine and method similar, it should would go a heck of a lot smoother...hmmm so, the top runners are right now the soft ganache idea steamed together with milk (or water) (vs chocolate shavings) *side note, to make a more euro-chocolate, i could probably steam water with a bit of cocoa and then the ganache right?* and also the chocolate stick idea....i loved kerry's pic with the frothy milk next to it, so people could still get a creamy and airy cup of chocolate, but stop stirring when its at their own "chocolate level" the only downside is how would i give them whipped cream with it if they wanted it? and i probably couldn't do my fav: a caramelized hot chocolate xoxoxoxo words can't express my gratitude for friends like you pics of the construction to come tonight or tomorrow....i'm painting today....again....

awesome lior.....you rock my world....oh yes you do :0)

ok, i know this is residential...but....whadda ya think? http://www.bialettishop.com/HotChocolateMakerMain.htm?gclid=CM3Pgv-bpZ4CFQ4MDQodKVqbmw

i will check on the other chocolatiers mentioned and see what they're offering....and no, i'm not in NYC at all....actually a small town, algona ia :0) i am the only thing like "us" around, so every product will be some kind of education for them! i have done events and online here before moving, and was very very well received, the whole town can't wait for us to open (yikes!) as for the chocolate stick and stir idea, i love it, and might do something like that as gift options or something that would be great in a basket idea, but for the sit-down customer (what i'm aiming this drink for) i would like to provide table service, like a cup of hot chocolate, and a shot of water to wash it down with. the idea of a soft ganache...i could make a caramel ganache for that drink i was telling you about earlier...that would work....and how soft is soft? 1 to 1 will kinda set up after a day, but would i dare do 2 to 1 (liquid to chocolate) and keep it in the fridge? or at room temp? keep the ideas coming :0) they are so appreciated, and every single one is something i hadn't even thought of! (weird how we can be so one-track sometimes!) and for that pic of the chocolate machine, that is a lot like what tomric's offers....didn't know if that was worth the investment? if i go with the small cup as most have suggested, that is probably too small to do chopped chocolate and hot water or milk in right? so i might have to buy the machine? as for the one pot a day scenario, just worried that hot chocolate would separate if made in the morning, and was not continually agitated? or do you think it would work to make in the morning, cover, set in fridge, and then reheat each individual cup? or would that be weird....hmmm...? thanks you guys!!!

as most of you know, i'm diving into the unknown of creating a retail dessert cafe and chocolate shop (yes i have photos of the construction...promise they are coming soon!) anyway, when i was in europe, i feel in love with hot chocolate (not hot cocoa!) and have made many types for families and friends, and i would love to offer this to customers. problem is, not sure how to serve (or store) it?. my first thoughts went to our darling brian at tomric, and their hot chocolate machine/agitator....but that would be a hefty investment (a tad under $800...then shipping) for something that i'm not sure is necessary? i, like most start ups, are working with a shoestring budget, and are spending it on construction, more warming pots, kitchen equip etc. so...question is.....do you have any suggestions for making the hot chocolate? i thought that maybe since i'm serving some coffee and espresso, what if i figured out my ratios from a normal recipe to single cup size, and would put chopped chocolate and cocoa in a cup, then steamed milk/cream like you would for a capp, and pour it into the chocolate and stir to melt? or if doing super dk chocolate, i use just chocolate, cocoa and water? would that work? but i have a favorite recipe that caramelizes sugar that you add to your liquid for a different taste of hot chocolate...how would i do that on a cup by cup basis? (unless i just don't offer that flavor?) uggg...can you see my frustration? how do you suppose our friends at burdicks chocolate cafe, or bittersweet chocolate cafe, or ethels do it? i know its not that hard to make hot cocoa on a cup by cup basis, but i'm looking for that super lovely sipping chocolate...... thoughts? also, your own preference, what do you normally see that served in (oz size?) i've seen demitasse size like in a double shot espresso cup (3 oz or so) and also 12 and 16 oz "cup o' chocolate" size....what do you think i should serve? i know most people can't finish a 12 or 16 oz (trust me, i have tried) but isn't it more exciting to receive a huge cup of chocolate? (me? not so much...but trying to appeal to "americans") *ha ha ha* on that note, i'm trying to keep dishware minimal, i already have those sizes mentioned for my coffee drinks, but i could get my hands on an 8 oz cup if needed....but trying to keep shoestring budget on a shoestring thanks you guys! appreciate any suggestions on ounces, or if i should purchase a hot chocolate agitator, (then i'd do like a different recipe every day?! so customers could try different ones) or other ideas on how to make it cup by cup.....thanks! xoxoxo

hi danny, i just moved so i have been without internet a couple days can i get back to you in the next week? got some unpacking to do to find all my recipes!

yup, the ganache is pretty thin right off the bat, i just put it in a hotel pan to cure for a couple hours, and when still soft, put it in a pastry bag and piped. the agitation crystalized it and if you wait 10 min after piping, it has a little crust on it, and then its firm enough to roll into a ball if you need the recipe, just let me know!!!

is this spouse friendly or no? *hoping to see betsy!* and if so, what do you think spouses would do while we're working? and do you need people to bring molds or warming pots?

hmmmm....some berry scones that were great with honey butter, pierre's pave cake, and a jungle cake for my nephew

tried a couple recipes and techniques, but went with grewling's with grand marnier and actually piped the ganache, let it crust a tad and then rolled. after initial rolling, hand rolled in untempered chocolate and dropped in cocoa mix. thought these turned out well...ganache was silky and soft enough to melt in your mouth, but firm enough to roll...did the powdered sugar/cocoa combination and it tasted great. thought we got the look of "a real truffle" like the ones dug out of the ground too. thanks for all your help, they were a hit and i learned something new!! best always :0)

you guys never disappoint i got the juices flowing i think i can tackle this one thanks for the thoughts and opinions....thinking i might lean towards the grand marnier and slabbing/cutting/rolling method! and kerry...did you mean roll 1/2 the batch in cocoa and 1/2 the batch in powdered sugar? or did you mean mix the two? hmmmmm just wanted to clarify! look for a picture and recipe next week (thanks beacheschef for some ratios!!)

hey friends everyone getting excited for the holidays? first halloween...not too exciting, but a chance to do some scary desserts, then thanksgiving (pumpkin? cranberry? raisins and cinnamon? gosh...we could have so much fun!) then christmas, and we all are getting a bit crazy and worried about the christmas rush (or is that just me?) before i can enjoy the holidays though, i have the task of creating a classic chocolate truffle. known as a french truffle maybe? (just what i've heard) my dad is hosting a "vintage" party for some out-of-state biz clients and thought chocolate dipped dried fruit and ginger and some of those rustic, super creamy, cocoa covered balls of ganache would be perfect. problem is, i don't ever make handrolled truffles. i do molded chocolates (more fluid ganache) and some hand cut and dipped chocolates, make ganache, slab, cure and cut, which obviously are a bit firmer. so i didnt know if anyone had any tips, tricks or recipe and ratio ideas for this type of chocolate treat? i use the e.guittard rouge cocoa powder, and thought that maybe if i slab ganache and cut, THEN roll, they would be more equally sized? and then hand roll them around in some tempered (or untempered?!) chocolate, then that goes directly into a pan of cocoa powder, roll around and shake off excess in mesh strainer? should that be tempered or untempered chocolate you think? and i want more than just chocolatey goodness in this truffle...always thought these guys had an alcohol spike in them? whiskey? brandy? maybe that apple calvados? (anyone used this?) or pear williams? but nothing that would make someone spit it out...just enough to go...huh...what's that? mmm....lovely *trust me, i have had one of those alcohol spit them out type chocolates...and i LOVE alcohol* (wait, that came out wrong...) anyway, just hoping for a memorable chocolate, something with flavor, and firm enough to roll and hold shape (not sure for ratios on this), but soft enough to almost literally melt in your mouth.....thoughts? also, side note, dad wanted to know if these were rolled in cocoa powder, could we "glue" a tiny chocolate decoration to the top? or would the chocolate not stick to the cocoa powder surface? (he wanted to personalize with chocolate biz logo, i have it on some transfers for him that i made) thanks you guys!

uh. yeah. no question about it!

i agree with the theory/pricing/biz side of things mentioned here....its important to learn shelf life, and pricing of product based not only on food costs but on packaging etc...i have never frozen truffles, i would fear the shell would crack (wouldn't ganache expand if frozen?!!!) and if you defrost, what about condensation? is the shell still shiny (if molded) or perfectly smooth and matte (if dipped) is the ganache still smooth and creamy? i don't know....freezing scares me pretty bad. but even with the advanced course, it would be nice to touch on basics, ONLY for the fact that we all do things differently and it would be interesting if someone has a different technique, or more streamlined approach etc... as for equipment, yes, i agree most of us are looking to expand, and would consider machinery to make for an easier or quicker production, but, like me, some small chocolatiers are still doing things pretty much all by hand, (even tempering) and only have one or two assistants to help out, so we don't have the funds quite yet to buy a $10 or $20,000 tempering machine, melting pot, depositor, enrobing machine etc..... so i'd like to touch on that, yes, but it won't apply to most of us i don't think (unless you all have much larger budgets than me!) :0) but i'd love to learn day to day runnings of a shop or retail business, or have some kind of forum on that at the course, among all the other things mentioned too

oh yes, and steve, i am going back to work on framing the walls on the 16th, so i'll post some pics after that!

i love marmish

i wanna go i wanna go i wanna go!!

first, steve, congratulations!!! second, i agree with the wholesale thing. i don't really understand it. i'm starting up and yes, i have a customer base, but no, i'm not as wonderfully well-known as our dear christopher (ps: loooooooove your chocolates...and the turtles....yum-o) i'm based in a small town, and pretty much have the market in that i'm a niche store, and there's nothing like us around. but being small and midwestern, there is only so high i can go with prices before i scare people away. so that doesn't leave me much room for wholesale costs. are you supposed to look at it as a way to get your product out? or you just tell yourself you're not going to make a ton of money with it? an upside is that if you're going to shell or dip, its better (to me anyway) to know you're doing upper hundreds of chocolates instead of 100, and KNOW they are going to sell. but i also run into boutiques around here that want 40-75% markup (i thought standard was 20%?) so, anyway, does anyone have advice about pricing out wholesale? do you just take the cut and know it is stability and networking? right now i'm doing a standard 25-35% depending on the product, but have no real rhyme or reason behind it (don't hate me, i know that's not smart, i do know all my costs and most labor is covered though) steve: are you marking them out based on quantity purchased? x amount = % discount or if you buy more to equal y, you get a bigger discount? are you including packaging or just stock packaging to get a product there? (like if they have a case, and dont use bags or boxes) uggg. i know i should add more wholesale accounts (i just had a winery approach me) but how do you know how much is a good enough discount to entice them, but still make it worth your while? i hear sooooo many who say wholesale is the way to go, but i just don't understand the logic. PS- no machinery here....just hand-tempering, slabbing and hand-dipping, hand-painting (gonna buy that badger soon though!) and shelling (done by hand) PSS- going to be bothering you all again soon, as we have an official new retail location (lease and everything!) and now going through setting up a brand new kitchen, wondering about equipment to buy, how to sell walk-by retail (instead of an order by order basis as we are now) etc.... thanks! and again...steve...wowzers. very excited for you! PSSS: i want a mint pattie. now.

hi! i used american chocolate, http://www.americanchocolatedesigns.com/ , to make some custom printed transfer sheets. they even let me do 1/2 the sheet with one logo and the other 1/2 sheet with a larger/longer logo of my name. they are very reasonable, and i did a one color (but you could do multiple colors) and when i dip anything, i just set it on that, instead of parch or wax paper, and everything is "marked" then hope that helps!

Just curiosity on my part. Where would you purchase shells already sprayed with chocolate? The only catalog I have is from Qzina and they don't carry them and my googling did not turn up any empty shells to purchase. Do premade shells taste as good as the ones the pastry chef might make? Are they actually cheaper because of work hours saved? Thanks. ← what a good question......care to enlighten us steve? PS-craving your lovely mint pattie dreamy chocolate things today. bad.