QbanCrackr

this is a recipe i found online for guinness mousse BLACK CHOCOLATE MOUSSE 8 ounces semisweet chocolate (chopped or grated) or bittersweet chocolate 1/2 cup butter (1 stick) 1/4 cup superfine sugar 3/4 cup Guinness stout 3 large eggs, separated 1 cup heavy cream (whipping cream) WHITE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE 6 ounces white chocolate (chopped or grated) 1 cup heavy cream (whipping cream) my only complaint is that it doesn't taste strong enough of guinness i want it to taste as if you're drinking a pint of the stuff...reduce the guinness? thats the only thing i can think of at this point hehe

Funny thing was I was just wondering about that method if it would give me different effects on the ganache. I piped some out yesterday and they did crystalize a bit more than my first batch, but my main issue is I think the cream is bringing the chocolate out of temper as when I went to roll them, they started melting and slipping and sliding on my gloves. I'm not sure they'd even hold up under the couverture =\

i've always been using the same cream, and the same chocolate (callebaut milk chocolate) i made a batch last night and when i got to it today, it was still a bit runny--i agitated it slightly and piped it out and left it to crystalize a bit and in some hours (i don't know how long but it seems to be just about right) it ended up thickening considerably. i think it may have been ambient temperature. but everything is the same (ingredients, mixing utensils, bowls, tupperware to crystalize) as for a mono-layer, i'm not sure on that, i haven't noticed anything when i've gotten back to it but i do believe i've achieved a good emulsion will update tmrw once i get back there. things do look like they're getting better but we'll see what happens as i try to repeat the process multiple times...hopefully tempering won't be too much of a pain hehe

i've noticed sometimes if i don't get the cream hot enough (i.e. simmering to the small bubbles) i have tiny little pieces of chocolate that didn't fully melt. tmrw i'm heading to get some more chocolate i'll try those 2 methods (the less cream and having the chocolate at 30 and cream at 40) *crosses fingers*

what i've always done is just heat the cream until small bubbles appear around the pot, pour it over the chocolate, let it sit for a minute then incorporate it from the center outwards. once its smooth i just pour it cover it and let it sit overnight, by 24 hours its normally firm enough to pipe it and roll it--could it be the temperature in which its setting up? or you think the cream got too hot to bring the chocolate out of temper?

i've made quite a few truffles at home, never had a problem once i got the technique down. i'd go with a 2:1 ratio of chocolate to cream, pour it into a shallow pan and left it there covered overnight to thicken up (and it would, it'd get nice and thick and easily rollable all without ever seeing a refrigerator) enter my new kitchen, i do the same thing and its just way too thin, as if nothing happens at all overnight--first batch i tried putting in the icebox and once my hands touched them they just started melting immediately. would the temperature of the cream be an issue? (it was a little hotter at home) once the cream is hot enough i'll pour it over the chocolate, let it sit for a minute then work my way from the inside out with a spatula then pour and cover. would humidity be an issue? i'm at my wits end here, i had a friend order about 60 truffles for her birthday in a few days (she'd tried the ones at home which were great) and i'm just stuck here scratching my head

i'm going to be hitting up the kitchen tmrw, i read on another thread here that to stabilize mousses for molding that 1% of the total weight should be gelatin? i.e. a sheet of gold (assuming with 2g of gelatin in it) would be enough to stabilize 100g of fruit base + 100g of whipped cream (1% gelatin for chocolate mousses?) my chocolate mousse recipe calls for 12oz of chocolate, 1-3/4c heavy cream & 1 teaspoon of gelatin...i'm not sure on how much the cream weighs so i can't accurately say if thats a 1% ratio but it does come out very creamy and holds up great as a filling between cake layers

both the recipes posted by schneich and richard are the same...if yr going for the recipe its up there somewhere, richard did me the favor of translating it for me

here is the link to the recipe http://www.imbibemagazine.com/Homemade-Pickling-Spice

thanks alot! just out of curiosity, step 2 involves mixing the 125g of sugar with the pectin and then in step 3 you add the remaining 400g?

wow such helpful responses! tmrw is my sister birthday, if i had some molds i'd love to be able to get this done for then but alas i've got no hemispheres I tried a google page translation (usually i've found this translator to be real good, but it gave me an error ) Would you be so kind as to give me a basic translation on it? Could you also help me with this one? I noticed you wrote it wasn't designed for frozen items--you mean those pieces that are to be served at frozen temperature right? 50C/122F would be the proper temperature to glaze with?

I originally opened this thread when i read Zwack, thinking it was Kwak (the beer)...and it refreshed my mind that i've got that same bottle at home but labeled Unicum and i don't even have the slightest idea what it is!

would i keep these in the freezer all the time? or could i keep them refrigerated so theyre not so hard right out of the freezer?

so i came across some really nice looking desserts online from a bakery and was wondering how they got them to look so pretty...i'm good with making mousses and stuff but not so much with the presentation...usually thats just a dollop in a bowl or something =/ in any case, here are some links to pictures with my ideas on how i'd get them like that.....maybe some of y'all can contribute with the proper way? #1 appears to be a raspberry + chocolate mousse in an oval shape with a raspberry gelee on top? piping layers into a stainless mold then topping with the gelee and freezing to set? #2 by color maybe a mango mousse topped with a kiwi and blueberry... same as above? #3 chocolate mousse domes silicon mold, freeze to set, turn out and cover with pate a glacer? (spelling on that one? #4 triple chocolate mousse same as #2? i'd really love to be able to do these for friends and family, any help would be amaaaazing -d

does anyone have a recipe to offer to make a curd ganache? or at least some sort of ratio for one?

Any idea where she got them? I live in Miami and right now I get my pecans at Costco...wouldn't mind having another source for them thats a great idea on the cocoa, first time i made it the chocolate would come right off--2nd time, i tabbed the surface and it held much better. i think the next time i make it i'll try the cocoa

I've made the pecan brittle, pecan buttercrunch & the pecan pralines all great hits

i took yr advice there, i heated it up a little to be able to get at it with the immersion blender easier and then did that until it started to come together then i just had at it with the whisk. in the end, the ganache came back together and i broke my whisk. ganache: 1 whisk: 0 since you have so much more chocolate than cream in the 3:1, how do you melt all the chocolate without it separating? melt the chocolate first then add it with the cream?

I originally tried doing a white ganache (8oz:4oz), but the end result never set up...2nd time around i added some more chocolate (12oz:4oz) and it setup alot better than the first time (white chocolate lime), but since the lime flavors weren't as pronounced as i would have wanted, today I came back to try and get the flavors where i wanted. I used the same ratio of chocolate to cream but it came out weird...I took some pics to show. It looks separated almost? not how my ganache normally comes out at all (its almost greasy both to the touch & in mouthfeel) but the taste was good at least. Any ideas of why this happened? This is only my 3rd time working with white chocolate ganache. D

When i temper my chocolate I seed it--but I've had some confusion about how to do it properly. Once you seed it and it drops below a certain point, the chocolate won't melt anymore rigt?. Some people say to use chunks so you can take them out easily (and then remove the chocolate and refrigerate it i guess to stop the melting). I had my 1/3 of seed set aside and ran my knife through it real good i thought it'd all melt but i was left with abunch of little chunks that didn't melt (although they added good texture haha). But in any case, i think that the chocolate having the 2 drops on the wrapper meant it had less cocoa butter thus making it less fluid? *shrug* In regards to the machines...I've seen a revolation 2 at about $500 that tempers 1-1/2# of chocolate and a mol d'art melter/warmer i think it was a 3kg rectantular for just over $700 The melter obviously has to be tempered by hand, whereas the temperer....well tempers (even though when you have temperature fluxuations or different chocolates that behave differently you have to play with the curves?) I know in the future we'll have the budget to purchase 1 of the 2 machines. I'm hoping that when that time comes I'll be confident enough with my skills to just go up to the melter/warmer so that i can dump the molds and make less of a mess

My block of Milk that i bought was a 2/5 on the "drops" scale that they have on the wrapper...was nice for mousses and ganaches but when i tempered it it got real thick...i made a peanut butter square center that i dipped in it and because of the viscocity it actually gave me the thickness i was looking for (i think a thinner shell wouldn't have contrasted as good) When we spoke with the rep, he told us they came out with a brand called Chocolante i think it is, and its made in the US. I wouldn't say ready, but i feel alot more confident than when i first started getting into confections and desserts and whatnot. We definitely won't be offering our products at the price of established confectioners in Miami (i can only think of 3-4 that are notable down here) but eventually with enough practice maybe we can be considered in the same sentence =P Once we're able to hire another helping hand for the evenings, I'll be able to devote more time into honing my newly found craft I've got maybe 6-8 flavors for truffle centers that are solid (well solid flavor-wise, hehe) and everyone that has tried them has given real good reviews. I wouldn't want to venture into selling the molded chocolates yet until I'm able to consistently temper a batch of chocolate without having to stop and retemper the whole thing. What I do know, and I welcome it with open arms, is that I'll probably never stop learning about it Thats what I read recently (well I bought the chocolate before knowing, and it had 2/5 drops on the wrapper

**I know this is a little on the long side, but I'm just looking for some good advice from those in the know about this subject. ** My family is opening up a bakery in the very very near future (should be opening before March). My mom and sister are taking care of the cupcakes/cakes and I'll occasionally help them with decorating or planning on the crazy cakes. My role there is mainly with desserts and chocolates. I've been messing around for a while now with truffles and have had great successes when i've let friends and family try my stuff. I've been going back and forth debating about buying a chocolate tempering machine but as much as it'd probably help with time, I really want to be able to temper it myself by hand. I've done alot of reading on the subject and am more familiar with tempering in theory, but the only chocolate i've had is a block of Callebaut milk chocolate (i think the 811nv, had 2 or 3 droplets). I've tried tempering it 3-4 times and of those times about 2 times i had chocolates that weren't shiny (as i've heard that this comes from the chocolate setting up against something shiny i.e. mold or acetate) but had a definite snap to them and didnt melt immediately when you touched them. With the opening coming soon, I know i'd be able to at least offer truffles in the beginning but i'd want to be able to move on to the molded chocolates and hand dipped variety, but my abilities with the tempering are very limited. I came across Qzina one night while searching for where to buy couverture in Miami, and being about an hour away from us, they might be able to help out. I got their price list and catalog but to be honest, I see so much chocolate there I wouldn't know what'd be a good choice to practice with and eventually be able to use the same chocolate in the kitchen. Even with all my reading, I guess it's so much information that it overwhelms me as I'm learning about this. Correct me if i'm wrong--Couverture is a higher class of chocolate due to its higher cocoa butter content right? And when tempered you form the stable form v crystals which give the gloss & snap to the chocolate. Is this a whole other animal than chocolate used for lets say ganache and baking right? I'd assume you could use them for both but is the couverture more suited towards just covering chocolate? Forgive me if the chocolate names look weird, I'm just copying & pasting from the price list. I've heard that CACAO BARR FAVORITE MI-AMERE BITTER SWEET CHOCOLATE is a good chocolate, and they also have all these Semi-Sweet Couverture CACAO BARR FORCE NOIRE SEMI SWEET GANACHE CHOCOLATE PISTOLES 50% CALLEBAUT 811 SELECT UNWRAPPED SEMI SWEET CHOCOLATE BLOCK 56% CALLEBAUT 811NV SELECT SEMI SWEET CHOCOLATE CALLETS 56% CALLEBAUT C811NV SELECT SEMI SWEET CHOCOLATE CALLETS 54.5% CALLEBAUT D811NV SELECT SEMI SWEET CHOCOLATE BLOCK 54% Bitter-Sweet Couverture CACAO BARR GUAYAQUIL BITTER SWEET CHOCOLATE PISTOLES 64% CACAO BARR CHOCOLAT AMER BITTER SWEET CHOCOLATE PISTOLES 60% CALLEBAUT L6040NV INTENSE BITTER SWEET GANACHE CHOCOLATE BLOCK 60% CALLEBAUT L6040NV INTENSE BITTER SWEET GANACHE CHOCOLATE Milk Chocolate Couverture CACAO BARR LACTEE SUPERIEURE MILK CHOCOLATE PISTOLES 37% CACAO BARR LACTEE BARRY MILK CHOCOLATE PISTOLES 35% CALLEBAUT 823NV SELECT UNWRAPPED MILK CHOCOLATE BLOCK 35% CALLEBAUT C823NV SELECT MILK CHOCOLATE BLOCK 34% CALLEBAUT C823NV SELECT MILK CHOCOLATE CALLETS 34% White Chocolate Couverture CACAO BARR BLANC SATIN WHITE CHOCOLATE PISTOLES 29% CALLEBAUT CW2NV SELECT WHITE CHOCOLATE BLOCK 28% CALLEBAUT CW2NV SELECT WHITE CHOCOLATE CALLETS 28% CALLEBAUT CW2NV SELECT UNWRAPPED WHITE CHOCOLATE BLOCK 28% Single Origin Couverture CACAO BARR TANZANIE ORIGIN BITTER SWEET CHOCOLATE PISTOLES 75% CACAO BARR ST. DOMINGUE ORIGIN BITTER SWEET CHOCOLATE PISTOLES 70% We've been in contact from a Belcolade representative but I've never tried their stuff nor heard of them before last week, and Qzina also carries Valrhona but at about twice the price of cacao barry & callebaut. I've looked into Scharffenberger as well as E.Guittard but can't find anyone locally that sells the stuff (go figure). In any case...help! I've got alot of ideas that I'd love to try out, and we've got the budget right now to buy chocolates to mess with recipes and whatnot but I just need some help on the couverture end. Thanks to those who respond, and if you don't respond but just took the time to read the whole post, thanks to you too. Danny

I've had this problem ongoing with my strawberry mousse--it goes perfectly in a glass or some sort of serving vessel, but to have it molded it collapses under its own weight...I'd even say it'd collapse just by looking at it! That being said, I did learn something new with your comment about 1 sheet being good enough for the 100g of base + 100g of cream. Does anyone know the conversion of 1 sheet to granulated gelatin? All i've got at home now is a decent size container of knox powder, and I haven't seen gelatin sheets at the restaurant supply that I go to (either that, or I just haven't looked hard enough) -D

well there was another recipe just like that, which substituted the white for dark chocolate, and the baileys for jack daniels...everything else remained the same. the freezing i'm just guessing is to be able to pop it out of the mold without leaving finger marks in it. and yeah the gelatin seemed like alot to me--my milk chocolate mousse is just chocolate, cream, and eggs and it comes together real nice no need for gelatin at all in that one how much water should i dissolve the gelatin in? or should i even just scrap the gelatin all together?

My sister found a recipe online that she wanted me to make for her: My questions are just a couple -- how much water should i dissolve the gelatin with, and wouldn't the chocolate seize up if i put that mixture straight into the chocolate? 1 pound white chocolate 5 each of egg yolks 1/8 cup Bailey's (liquor) 1/4 cup gelatin 1 cup heavy cream Method of Preparation 1. Cream egg yolks. 2. Whip heavy cream (not too stiff). 3. Melt chocolate in double boiler. 4. Dissolve gelatin in boiling hot water, add to chocolate. 5. Add Bailey's to chocolate, blend well; add yolks and fold in. 6. Fold whipped cream into chocolate. 7. Spray molds inside with baking oil, sprinkle with sugar, put all on one tray, and store in freezer until mousse is ready.